“We probably weren’t the star-studded pairing,” said Maguire, who relishes an underdog role.
NAPLES, Fla. – Leona Maguire and Lucas Glover came into the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational somewhat under the radar, despite Glover winning twice this season and Maguire having another blockbuster Solheim Cup.
“We probably weren’t the star-studded pairing,” said Maguire, who relishes an underdog role.
And yet, here they are, one shot back of the lead in the highly-anticipated mixed team event, the first of its kind between the LPGA and PGA Tour since 1999, the last playing of the JCPenney Classic.
Maguire and Glover birdied the first 10 holes in the opening scramble format en route to a 15 under 57. They’re one back of Nelly Korda/Tony Finau and tied with Megan Khang/Denny McCarthy, who shot 27 on the back nine.
While some partnerships this week at Tiburon Golf Club have coaches in common, or in the case of Rose Zhang and Sahith Theegala, a trainer, Glover and Maguire met for the first time in person on the chipping green Tuesday at Tiburon.
“I think they just assigned us each other,” said Glover of how they connected, “and we met via text and went from there, played some Tuesday.”
And yes, Glover definitely Googled Maguire, learning that she has a twin sister in dental school. He was looking for any kind of nugget to break the ice. The 44-year-old Glover also asked some of the younger guys on the PGA Tour if they knew Maguire, including Justin Thomas last week at the Hero World Challenge.
Maguire also Googled, though she already knew that Glover had won a major (2009 U.S. Open) and probably should’ve been on this year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team.
“Maybe the Europeans were a little bit lucky Lucas wasn’t in Rome,” she said with a smile.
Denny McCarthy of the United States and Megan Khang of the United States talk on the second green during the first round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club on December 08, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Douglas DeFelice/Getty Images)
Nelly Korda told her old QBE partner McCarthy that her good friend Khang is a pocket rocket. It was destined to be a fun week.
“We met each other Tuesday night and it was, you know, I feel like we’re already great friends,” said McCarthy.
Khang agreed, noting that she’d already told McCarthy’s mom that she’d raised a great son.
“I kind of forgot we were in a tournament,” said Khang of their level of fun.
The shot of the day, Khang noted, came on the par-4 13th when she drove it into a bunker about 35 yards short of the hole. McCarthy told her to it get up there close and he’d hole it.
And he did just that.
“Babe Ruth, I pointed and called my shot,” said McCarthy. “That was nice.”
The format changes to foursomes for Saturday’s round.
Three players went unbeaten over the three days but only one earned 4 points over the five sessions.
CASARES, Spain — The 2023 Solheim Cup couldn’t have been closer.
The 18th edition of the biennial bash between the United States and Europe was all square at 8-8 entering Sunday singles, and after the final 12 matches – five won by the both teams and two ties – the competition ended in a 14-14 tie, and the Europeans retained the Cup.
In the event’s 23-year history, the Americans have taken home the trophy on 10 occasions, with the Europeans earning the other eight. Team Europe hasn’t lost since 2017 in Iowa.
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda was the only player to score four points this week (4-0-0) and was one of four players who went unbeaten, joining Gemma Dryburgh (0-0-2), Megan Khang (3-0-1) and Cheyenne Knight (2-0-1). Two players went winless for each team, but only one failed to earn a point.
Here’s a breakdown of how each player fared this week by event at the 2023 Solheim Cup.
In fact, it looked for a moment like Europe might get a sweep themselves in the afternoon. With three of four matches extending to the 18th as sunlight dwindled, Europe managed to put up three points, and now trail the Americans 5-3 with two days left of competition.
“I have to say, I’m immensely proud of the way the entire team fought back in the afternoon,” said European captain Suzann Pettersen. “It’s not easy to stand on that tee in the afternoon knowing you’re down four after the first session. So I got to say, hat’s off to all my players, the way they fought and the way they showed their character on this Friday afternoon. I think the level of golf that was played in the afternoon was unbelievable.”
Leona Maguire, the undisputed MVP of the 2021 Cup at Inverness, chipped in on the 18th hole to secure Europe’s first full point alongside partner Georgia Hall.
“She turned around to me and said, ‘How would you have done it?’ ” said Pettersen. “And I said, ‘just the same.’ ”
Both Maguire and Hall played 36 holes at hilly Finca Cortesin but dug deep.
“It was really tough with the wind,” said Maguire. “I don’t think I ever hit as many 3-woods in my life. But every half point, every point, is really hard-earned and just really proud of the whole team for fighting back this afternoon.”
Emily Pedersen struggled early on Friday but gave the home crowd a jolt of energy with an ace on the par-3 12th and nearly a second one on the 17th.
Gemma Dryburgh of Team Europe reacts on the 12th green during Day One of The Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 22, 2023 in Casares, Spain. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
It wasn’t long after that rookie Gemma Dryburgh chipped in from 30 yards on the 16th playing alongside Madelene Sagstrom. Rose Zhang drained a birdie putt on top to halve the hole, but it was still a building block of momentum for Pettersen’s squad.
“I loved every minute of it,” said Dryburgh. “That chip-in on 16 was the pinnacle, but I had to calm myself down for the next hole, so that was a new experience for me.”
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda waited her entire life to tee it up in a Solheim Cup in Spain, and then she had to wait all morning before Pettersen put her in the lineup. The Spaniard didn’t disappoint, teaming up with Sweden’s Linn Grant to give Europe its most decisive victory, 4 and 2.
“Carlota, I’m just trying to put a leash on this week,” said Pettersen. “I mean, she would jump off and fly if she could. So I’m really just trying to keep her grounded. She’s playing fantastic.”
World No. 2 Lilia Vu is on the bench for the opening matches, as is rising star Rose Zhang.
CASARES, Spain — The opening tee shots of the 2023 Solheim Cup are just hours away and the first group of pairings have officially been announced.
Friday morning’s foursomes pairings and matches at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast were released during the opening ceremony Thursday night at nearby Marbella Arena, with none other than U.S. star Lexi Thompson, who has struggled this year, set to take the first swing alongside Megan Khang against European and Swedish rookies, Linn Grant and Maja Stark.
Notably on the bench for the American side are world No. 2 Lilia Vu, who won two major championships this season, as well as rising star Rose Zhang, who has a penchant for match play.
“I wanted to get off to a good start. I wanted to get out four really good pairings and that’s kind of been my focus this whole time,” said U.S. captain Stacy Lewis. “So it was more about who matched up together versus even — I didn’t even look at who was sitting, to be honest. I wasn’t even worried about who was sitting. It was more just what are my best four options.”
“For my sake, I feel like I’ve had these four pairings down on paper for quite a few months now,” added European captain Suzann Pettersen. “It was more like in what order do you play ’em.”
Check out the four matches and pairings, as well as the eight players who will ride the pine pony for the first session of matches at the 2023 Solheim Cup. (Note: Spain is six hours ahead of Eastern Time in the U.S.)
A drivable par-4 1st hole sets a unique tone for what fans should expect to see this week in Spain.
CASARES, Spain — When’s the last time you saw a drivable par 4 on the first hole of a golf course?
Fans who tune in to the 2023 Solheim Cup this week at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast will be treated to the rarity as the opening hole will provide a risk-reward option for players right from the jump.
A lot of the pre-match discussion this week from both players and captains has been about the unique test that this year’s host course will provide. The course at Finca Cortesin offers wide fairways and will bless the good shots and penalize the poor ones. Not only that, the heat and hills will make the 18th matches between the United States and Europe an equal parts physical and mental test for players and their caddies.
Here’s what the stars of the week had to say about this year’s host course as the Solheim Cup is held in Spain for the first time in its nearly two-decade history.
If you look at past records, the advantage at the 2023 Solheim Cup lies with the home side Europeans.
CASARES, Spain — Who are the favorites at the 2023 Solheim Cup?
The gambling experts in Las Vegas currently have the host Europeans as the favorites at -115, but it’s a close bet with the Americans at +100. A tie is currently +950.
The Rolex world ranking gives the U.S. side a slight advantage as all 12 Americans are ranked inside the top 50. Nine Euros are inside the top 50, with two outside the top 120.
If you ask United States captain Stacy Lewis, she’ll say Suzann Petersen and her European counterparts have to be favored. After all, Team Europe has claimed the last two Cups and will be playing on home soil.
“And that’s not to doubt my team. I just think Europe is really, really strong. They have got all the momentum in this event right now,” said Lewis last month when she made her captain’s picks for the biennial event that begins on Friday at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast. “That’s going to be our biggest thing is we are going overseas, and we don’t have the momentum on our side. And so we are going to go try to flip it.”
“We have a lot of new blood that has not experienced the last two years,” Lewis continued. “They don’t know what it’s been like, and I think that’s going to be to our advantage, as well.”
Sure, ignorance can be bliss, but the other side of that coin is a lack of high-pressure experience in a truly unique event. That could be an issue for the U.S., who fields a 12-player team this week that features five rookies.
Not only is Team Europe two-time defending champions, but of the 24 players competing, nine have winning records in the event, and six are European.
Three players will make their debut for the European side next month in Spain.
In just a month’s time the U.S. and Europe will square off at the 2023 Solheim Cup, and one of the two squads has been set.
European captain Suzann Pettersen announced her four captain’s picks on Tuesday, completing the 12-player team bound for Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain, Sept. 22-24. Team Europe is comprised of the top-two players in the Europe Solheim Cup standings, the top-six players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking (not already eligible) and four captain’s picks.
The Americans have been victorious 10 times, most recently in 2017 at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa, while the Europeans are looking for a third consecutive win and their eighth overall.
Meet the 12 players who will take on the U.S. at the 2023 Solheim Cup.
ANTRIM, Northern Ireland — Pop your head into any golf shop along the northwest coast of Ireland and you’re sure to gather in a healthy dose of Leona Maguire, one of the nation’s greatest golf products.
Posters of the 28-year-old appear with as much frequency as they would of Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City or Steph Curry in the Bay area. Maguire is also on the cover of the most recent Irish Golfer magazine, smiling while standing between the words “Leona: That winning feeling,” marking the second time in the publication’s last 20 issues that she’s graced the front page.
In this emerald paradise, her star couldn’t be shining much brighter.
She’s not alone. While the island that encompasses the countries of Ireland and Northern Ireland has long produced male golf superstars, female pros have not enjoyed the same level of success until recently.
The former Duke player dominated the amateur game and held the No. 1 ranking for 135 weeks, a record that was broken by Rose Zhang. In 2022, Maguire became the first Irishwoman to win on the LPGA at the Drive On Championship.
Others have followed suit. At this week’s ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by Aviv Clinics at Galgorm Castle Golf Club and Castlerock Golf Club outside Belfast, Maguire is joined by Stephanie Meadow, Olivia Mehaffey and Jessica Ross, who all hail from Northern Ireland.
The 16th tee box at Galgorm Castle Golf Club for the 2023 ISPS Handa World Invitational. (Photo: Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
It signals a high-water mark in women’s golf for the region, one that even the players have taken notice of.
“It’s amazing. I think when I was a little girl I looked up to the guys,” said Mehaffey, an Arizona State product who plays on the Ladies European Tour. “We always had so many great male players. Didn’t maybe have as much on the women’s side. Obviously, Leona and Steph are kind of breaking down a lot of barriers. I am coming in behind them. There are a lot of girls in college. It’s getting really strong. It’s nice to see the women follow in the men’s footsteps.
“So I think it’s exciting and Irish golf is a good place. I think it’s only going to get better, and I think events like this and also for us having the Irish Open back on the schedule I think it’s great. I believe that we’re in a good spot. It’s just going to keep getting better.”
Unfortunately, this event, which showcases LPGA, LET and DP World Tour players, will be short-lived. The DP World Tour released its 2024 schedule earlier this week and the ISPS Handa wasn’t included. Organizers told BBC Sport there are plans for another big event in the region, but the mixed format – in which male and female players compete for the same size purse – will not be extended.
Still, the sunsetting of the tournament hasn’t dampened the spirits of those in this week’s field. Maguire, for example, is eager to play again just two hours from her home of Cavan. She says she loves the support, even if it’s a bit overwhelming at times.
“I wouldn’t necessarily call it pressure. I think the Irish fans are fantastic to come out and support their own, whether it’s golf or whether it’s Women’s World Cup a few weeks ago or whatever it is,” Maguire said. “I think it’s always nice to have people wishing you well and rooting you on and wanting to see you do well. You can call it pressure, but either way, you want to do as well as you can every week, and this week is really no different.
“It’s nice to have that sort of extra support there when you hit a good shot and things like that. Yeah, it’s just a little bit of an extra incentive to do better this week.”
If Maguire does find that extra incentive, the field best beware. She’s missed just one cut in 14 starts this year and has posted five top-10 finishes, including a win at the Meijer LPGA Classic. Using a white-hot putter of late, she’ll be looking to improve on last year’s 10th-place finish, and would be the perfect final winner during the event’s swan song.
Stephanie Meadow chips a shot onto the 3rd green during the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Meadow, meanwhile, will be looking to rekindle the magic she displayed in 2019 when she won the event. The tournament is played at two courses through the opening two rounds with men’s groups and women’s groups alternating. After the cut, the final two rounds will all be played at Galgorm.
The win in 2019 was an extra special one for Meadow, as she had her husband on the bag.
“I mean, that was such an amazing memory to have all my friends and family here,” said Meadow, who is a member at nearby Ballyclare Golf Club as well as Royal Portrush. “To do it at a golf course where I took lessons up on the range there when I was 10 years old, I mean, talk about a transformation. Obviously, a super special memory and I’m excited to be back here again.”
For the first time ever, the best women golfers in the world are headed to the Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach Golf Links for the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open.
The storylines are plentiful with Amy Olson playing while seven months pregnant, Michelle Wie West teeing it up for the final time as a professional and Rose Zhang being the outright betting favorite.
In two LPGA starts this season, the former Stanford star won the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National and tied for eighth at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in her first major start as a pro. Zhang is listed at 12/1 at several sportsbooks.
Golf course
Pebble Beach Golf Links | Par 72 | 6,816 yards
The U.S. Women’s Open Trophy at the No. 7 hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo: Kip Evans/USGA)
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SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Stephanie Meadow can only imagine the number of drinks that will be flowing at Royal Portrush should an Irishwoman triumph at Baltusrol on Sunday. Meadow trails her childhood friend Leona Maguire by two strokes heading into the final round at the KPMG Women’s PGA.
With the PGA of America moving up tee times due to weather and going off split tees in threesomes, Maguire and Meadow will play together in the final group alongside Jenny Shin, who sits alone in third.
“I’ll put it this way,” said Meadow. “I knew her when she was reading Harry Potter books.”
Maguire, winner of last week’s LPGA Meijer Classic, became the first woman from Ireland to win on the LPGA in 2022. A birdie on the 18th put her at 7 under for the championship. She’s the only player in the field with three consecutive rounds in the 60s at Baltusrol’s Lower Course.
Maguire reckons she has known Meadow for about 18 years.
“We played on Ulster county teams together and played on Irish teams together,” said Maguire. “We played Curtis Cup together. We played foursomes together. We roomed together.
“I’ve known Steph a long time. We’ve been good friend a long time. We’ve done battle many times before. It’s great to see her playing so well.”
Northern Ireland’s Meadow, a newlywed, ranks 151st in the world and got a boost last week with her season-best T-13 in Michigan. She was there waiting on the 18th green at the Meijer with celebratory champagne for her longtime friend.
Maguire’s Irish caddie, Dermot Byrne, caddied for Shane Lowry at the 2016 PGA at Baltusrol and has been key to her success the past two years.
“I think the biggest thing is he has given me the confidence,” said Maguire. “I think he has believed in me in times where I haven’t believed in myself. He is just a really steady presence out there.
“I think he doesn’t get too excited when things are going well, and he doesn’t get too down when things aren’t. I think we’re quite similar in that regard.”
Stephanie Meadow chips a shot onto the 3rd green during the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament. (Photo: John Jones/USA TODAY Sports)
Shin’s 66 matched the low round of the day and put her in contention for her first LPGA title in eight years. The 30 year old said there was a period of time when she was content with not winning. She was happy enough simply playing decent golf. But after a self-evaluation a few years back, she decided that she wanted more.
“You know, this is my 13th year out here,” said Shin. “I’m sure if you ask any player that’s been out here this long, there’s ups and downs and phases in life, and I think I went through that phase.
“So now, you know, I want to win more than anything.”
World No. 1 Jin Young Ko lurks four shots back and is the only player in the top six who has won a major, two in fact.
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She began the day with three bogeys in the first four holes and then poured in four consecutive birdies on the back nine in what proved to be an unusually up-and-down round.
“Still, I don’t know this golf course,” Ko said with a laugh.
Lee-Anne Pace, a South African who made her first LPGA start to the season at the ShopRite LPGA Classic and played her way into the KPMG with a T-30 finish, sits tied at 4 under with China’s Ruoning Yin, who won her first LPGA title earlier this season at the DIO Implant L.A. Open. Yin hit 17 greens in the first round and 18 on Saturday.
“If my putting can just get online,” said Yin, “I think I have a big chance to win.”
Lauren Coughlin began the week with a 75 but pulled herself into a share of sixth with Ko after rounds of 67-68. She’s made only one bogey in the last 36 holes.
“I just kept telling myself, like, you’re really good at golf,” said Coughlin, who at 30 is still looking for her first LPGA win. “I think I forget that sometimes, and that was something I just kept telling myself all day yesterday and again today if any nerves or anything came up.”
Rookie sensation Rose Zhang eagled the last hole, nestling it up to 5 feet with a 5-wood from 219 yards. Zhang, who made her professional debut in a major this week, sits in a share of 12th, six shots back.
“I felt like my swing was really solid,” said Zhang. “It was way better than the first couple days. Finally getting in the groove.”
