Tag: Ewen Ferguson

Maja Stark’s 63 earns ISPS Handa title and LPGA membership; Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson, who banned his parents from coming this week, goes wire-to-wire in men’s division

Maja Stark earns LPGA membership while Ewen Ferguson wins for second time on DP World Tour.

Last week at Muirfield, Sweden’s Maja Stark asked herself “What would Tiger do?” throughout the AIG Women’s British Open. It was a call to be both aggressive and fearless. After a final-round 79, her instructor encouraged her to just be Maja.

Turns out 22-year-old Stark can find great success without channeling Woods.

A 10-birdie day and course-record 63 landed Stark a five-shot victory at 20 under Sunday at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland. The event, which is co-sanctioned by the LPGA, DP World Tour and LET, gave Stark the chance to immediately accept LPGA membership for the rest of 2022 and 2023, which she did.

“That was all I came here for,” said Stark. “Like I just wanted that winner’s category. I was so nervous. I hate qualifying. It’s great that I don’t have to do that again.”

While Stark’s sparkling play in the final round earned her the title, Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson posted a course-record of his own, a 9-under 61, on Thursday at Galgorm Castle on the strength of two eagles and capped off a wire-to-wire victory in the men’s division.

The men and women competed for equal prize money in two separate 72-hole stroke play events. The two fields split a purse of $3 million.

Ferguson’s final-round 69 put him at 12 under for the tournament and two shots ahead of compatriot and friend Connor Syme. It marks Ferguson’s second victory on the DP World Tour.

“My whole family’s life revolves around me playing golf,” said Ferguson. “Their happiness seems like it’s all about me and my golf. It’s been a good year, and obviously you get times where it doesn’t go so well, so I think you really need to appreciate things where you’re picking up trophies or you’re making cuts and you’re doing all right because it’s a really tough game.”

Ferguson did note, however, that he banned his parents from coming this week because he needed to focus. He was surprised by how calm he felt on Sunday.

“I said to my mum last night,” said Ferguson, “no matter what, if I win or lose, I’m going to smile at the cameras so everyone is feeling happy at home.

“Tried my best to do that.”

2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational
Connor Syme embraces Ewen Ferguson on the 18th hole at the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle and Massereene Golf Clubs in Northern Ireland. (Photo: Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)

Ireland’s Leona Maguire, the highest-ranked player in the field this week, finished 10th. The former Duke star said last week at Muirfield, where she took a share of fourth, took a lot out of her.

“I didn’t really have any ‘A’ game this week,” said Maguire, “so squeezed a bit out of it in the end, and always nice to finish with a good round on Sunday.”

American rookie Allisen Corpuz finished a career-best second with birdies on the last two holes. Georgia Hall of England came in solo third, followed by Linn Grant.

Stark and Grant have pushed each other since they turned professional, and Grant was there to celebrate with her friend when she walked off the green at Galgorm Castle. Earlier this summer, Grant became the first female to win on the DP World Tour when she beat the field of men and women by nine strokes at the Scandinavian Mixed.

On Saturday, the two young Swedes played together and set a goal of trying to make a combined 16 birdies. Stark shot 69 in that round.

Stark, a former Oklahoma State standout who left college after two seasons, has now won seven times since turning pro nearly one year ago. She now has five-time LPGA winner and Solheim stalwart Sophie Gustafson, a fellow Swede, on her bag. Stark’s title marks the 100th victory on the LET for Swedish players.

“I did not expect this at all,” said Stark. “If you told me a year ago that I would have a win on the LPGA, I would not have believed it.”

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Leona Maguire trails by one in Northern Ireland despite hitting opening tee shot OB; Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson paces men’s division after course-record 61

Maguire bounced back nicely to shoot a 5-under 68.

First tee shot out of bounds? No problem.

Tournament favorite Leona Maguire opened with a bogey on the par-5 first hole at Galgorm Castle and still managed to finish one shot off the lead after carding a 5-under 68 at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland.

Maguire, who has twin sister Lisa on the bag, followed that bogey with an eagle on the par-5 third hole and finished off her round with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 16-18.

“Didn’t hit enough fairways,” said Maguire, who hit seven total. “Didn’t really feel comfortable over a lot of the tee shots. This course doesn’t suit my eye very well, so kind of nice to have a change of scenery.”

The field played both Galgorm Castle and Massereene Golf Club, with men and women alternating tee times. The ISPS Handa World is a co-sanctioned event between the LPGA, LET and DP World Tour. There are two fields of 132 men and 132 women who will compete over two separate 72-hole stroke play events for a total of $3 million, split evenly.

Maguire, the first Irishwoman to win on the LPGA, finds herself one back of American Amanda Doherty and tied with Georgia Hall, Lee-Anne Pace and Lauren Coughlin.

Galgorm, Northern Ireland – AUGUST 10: Leona Maguire of Ireland with caddie and sister Lisa Maguire prior to the ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics at Galgorm Castle and Massereene Golf Clubs on August 10, 2022 in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson posted a 9-under 61 at Galgorm Castle in the men’s division on the strength of two eagles. Ferguson leads by four over a trio that includes LIV player Richard Bland at 5 under.

“Played the pro-am with Niall (Horan) and me and Robbie Keane yesterday and I kept hitting a lot of bunkers,” Ferguson said. “They were saying, you love the bunkers. See you tomorrow. Just try and stay out of them.

“Today was just nice to avoid them all, which was good. Obviously, a 61, so course record is pretty nice.”

At last week’s AIG Women’s British Open, Maguire carded Sunday’s best round, a bogey-free 64, to post a career-best fourth-place finish in a major.

“If I had the putted today like I putted on Sunday,” she said, “would be a bit of a different story. If I can take the ball striking from last week and add it to the putting today, I would be very happy.”

Hall enjoyed an eagle-birdie-birdie stretch on Nos. 3-5 on Galgorm and dropped only one shot in her opening 68.

“I felt I played fairly average, to be honest,” she said, “because there are a lot of chances out there today.”

Maja Stark, the Race to Costa del Sol leader, rebounded from a tough 79 on Sunday at the AIG Women’s British Open to shoot 69 at the par-72 Massereene Golf Club.

“I feel like I was just so drained after that last round because I feel like I really tried to play well the whole round, but then nothing seemed to work, said Stark of Sunday at Muirfield. “I just collapsed when I got in.

“So I’ve been nice to myself and taking some time off. Not time off; obviously been playing the practice rounds and the pro-am. But then not practicing as much as I usually do, because I can feel that I’ve been easily annoyed and stuff like that the last week.”

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