Ireland's Leona Maguire rallies late to win LPGA Meijer title
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Ireland's Leona Maguire hits a tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the Meijer LPGA Classic.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – Ireland’s Leona Maguire made an eagle and four birdies in the last six holes on Sunday to win the Meijer Classic for her second LPGA Tour title.
Maguire, runner-up in the event the past two years, fired an eight-under 64 to finish on 21-under 267 at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan.
“It was nice to go bogey-free on Sunday,” Maguire said. “I tried to be patient. My goal was to get to 20 under and it was nice to go one even better than that.
“This one is that little bit sweeter after coming so close two years in a row.”
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who was joint-102nd after opening with a 73 on Thursday, finished second on 269 after a closing 66.
China’s Lin Xiyu (68) and South Korea’s Amy Yang (69) were joint-third on 270.
Another Korean, Kim Hyo-joo (69), was fifth on 272.
Former world No. 1 Ariya said: “After the first round, I had no expectations. I wasn’t thinking about outcomes because I only want to work on my game, and it’s come out pretty good.”
World No. 20 Maguire, whose other win came at the 2022 Drive On Championship in Florida, was third in May’s LPGA Match-Play and shared seventh at the Americas Open two weeks ago.
But she also learnt lessons from her previous runner-up efforts in Belmont to win on Sunday.
“I feel like I’ve taken things from both years and I’ve been playing some really good golf coming into this week,” Maguire, 28, said. “You have to play really good golf to win out here. It’s tough.”
She will try to claim her first Major crown at this week’s Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol, with the US Women’s Open in early July at Pebble Beach.
“I feel like my game has been in great shape,” Maguire said. “(I’ll) just try more of the same, stay patient and give myself as many chances as I can.”
She birdied No. 13 and eagled the par-five 14th to match Ariya and Lin for the lead at 18 under, but Yang eagled No. 14 and leapt into the lead at 19 under.
Lin, chasing her first LPGA title, had a third consecutive birdie at No. 14 to share the lead and Maguire birdied the 16th hole to make it three golfers at 19 under.
But Yang double bogeyed the 16th, sending her first two strokes off the top, and Lin – who was slowed by Covid-19 earlier this month – dropped a shot at No. 17 to stumble back.
Maguire added birdies on No. 17 and 18 to complete the fightback victory.
“I’m extremely proud of myself. I grinded all week,” Lin said. “I’ve done everything I could do. This is golf.
“But overall I stayed really patient, executed everything really well. I know my time is coming but just need to be patient.”
AFP, REUTERS
