Last year’s tournament in West Michigan really helped Maguire realize she belongs competing for titles out on the tour.
BELMONT, Michigan — A lot of things can change in just one year.
Just 12 months ago, Leona Maguire was known as somebody who had been known one of the best amateurs women’s golf has ever seen, but who had failed to make her mark in her brief pro career. That all changed in a big way last summer.
At last year’s Meijer LPGA Classic, she finished alone in second place for the first time in her career, just two shots behind Nelly Korda who became the No. 1 ranked player in the world the following week. A month later, she was competing in the Olympics for her native Ireland. Then in September, she made a dominant run in her Solheim Cup debut, going undefeated and scoring a team-high 4.5 points. Those points helped push Team Europe to a 15-13 win over Team USA. The cherry on top for the 27-year-old was claiming the first-ever LPGA Tour win for an Irishwoman this February at the LPGA Drive On Championship.
She’s always been confident in herself, understandably so. After all, she held the world No. 1 amateur ranking for a record 135 weeks before turning pro in 2020. But last year’s tournament in West Michigan really helped her realize she belongs competing for titles out on the Tour.
“This week last year was a big confidence booster for me,” Maguire said. “I played some really great golf here and went toe to toe with Nelly [Korda] who then became No. 1 the next week, so I knew my game was in really good shape when I could do that, so [it] gave me a lot of confidence leading on from that.”
Maguire heads into Saturday’s third round with a shot to claim another title in 2022. She sits at 7-under par for the tournament, putting her in a tie for seventh place seven shots off the lead.
The track at Blythefield Country Club is one of her favorites on the tour too. She said it reminds her of several courses from back home, so it gives her a sense of familiarity when she’s over the ball.
Another thing giving her good vibes heading into the weekend is that her twin sister, Lisa is with her. With hoards of fans in Michigan supporting Americans like Korda or Lexi Thompson, it’s comforting to know she has fans in her corner.
“It’s always nice having her out on the road. She’s been out for a few weeks now, so this week and next week at KPMG she’ll be out,” Maguire said. “Yeah, having her walk along and supporting me is always a benefit.”
Her fellow golfers on the Tour knew it was only a matter of time before Maguire, who is now ranked 24th in the world, burst onto the scene in the pro ranks. But it just took some time to adjust to the constant elite level of competition and the hectic lifestyle of always being on the road.
Leona Maguire of Ireland waves to fans after a par on the 15th green during round one of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club on June 17, 2021, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Mel Reid, her teammate on the Solheim Cup team last year, saw Maguire’s emergence firsthand when they were paired together for the first round of the tournament. She said she’s so happy to see her thriving now. She even got a nickname on the Tour due to her heroics for Team Europe.
“We call her MVP now, she’s obviously a great player, she’s always been a great player, she’s had a great amateur career,” Reid said. “It’s nice to see her doing well out here, you know it takes some time, the girls are really good out here.”
Another one of her teammates on Team Europe, Madelene Sagstrom, has known Maguire since junior golf. Just like Reid, there’s no surprise for her to see how Maguire has turned into the next potential superstar on the LPGA Tour.
“it’s nice to see her blossom. That’s what we’re all looking to do out here, so we all knew that she was going to do — she was going to win, and then we all knew she was going to do great,” Sagstrom said. That’s where she belongs.”
With the weekend rounds at the Meijer still to play and the third major of the year, The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, less than a week away Maguire will be looking to take more confidence from the Meijer LPGA Classic, even if she doesn’t end up hoisting the trophy on Sunday evening.
“Yeah, [that confidence] it’s huge,” Maguire said. “I think it’ll be a very different test next week at [the KPMG], but this week it’s about trying to go as low as possible.”
—Contact Assistant Sports Editor Will Kennedy at Will.Kennedy@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByWillKennedy and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.
Hataoka’s sixth LPGA win puts her in elite company.
Nasa Hataoka’s sixth career victory at the DIO Implant LA Open on Sunday puts her in elite company with Jessica Korda. Together they’re the winningest players on the LPGA without a major title.
Who are the best players without a major? Some on this list, like Hataoka and Korda, have won quite a bit already. Others, like rookie Atthaya Thitikul, make the list based on talent and potential.
Minjee Lee and Jennifer Kupcho are two players who played their way off of last year’s list. Lee won the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship, and Kupcho broke through with her first LPGA title at the Chevron Championship earlier this month.
Here’s a list of 10 players (with their Rolex Ranking) who are either primed to win a major or past due:
Lexi Thompson hasn’t won since 2019. She wasn’t going to let a pulled back muscle keep her from giving a shot at ending that drought Saturday.
The 26-year-old nearly did, getting within two strokes of eventual winner Leona Maguire.
But Thompson grimaced and grabbed a bit at her back on a wayward tee shot on No. 16. That led to a bogey, and although she recovered to birdie the final hole to finish solo second.
“I kind of pulled a back muscle my first round out here and I was just happy to get through the next two days,” Thompson said. “I didn’t play any differently. It was just sore. But I would have to have a broken back to not play, so I fought through it. Took some painkillers and just managed to get around the golf. Obviously played well, so it was just happy to be out there.”
Lexi Thompson reacts after hitting from the 16th tee during the final round of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club on February 05, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
“I don’t think she was quite 100% out there and she was gutting through it,” said playing partner Stacy Lewis, who tied for fourth. “Just really proud of her. She didn’t feel very good out there today and still put up a pretty good number.”
Thompson holed out for eagle from the fairway on No. 10, then followed with birdies on Nos. 11 and 13.
“Holing out on 10 and making the birdie on 11 I knew I had to be somewhat close, so I just tried to stay in the moment, focus on just doing my pre-shot routine and committing to those golf shots out there,” Thompson said. “I knew I had to make birdies.”
Thompson’s eagle from the fairway may have been her first hole-out that wasn’t an ace on a par 3.
“I haven’t holed out I don’t think because besides a hole-in-one, but I hit my 2-iron off the tee, just kind of a placement, it’s a shorter hole,” she said. “I had 101 pin, dead into the wind. I was in between clubs and I was talking about it with my caddie, Will. ‘Do you think my 115 club gets there? It’s going to be higher.’ So I’m like, I just want to keep the next one lower in the wind, so just chipped it. I saw it bounce and then I knew it went past, I guess it spun back.
“I just went off the crowd to the left because it was tucked right. The crowd went nuts so I was like, ‘All right.’ Definitely great memory.”
Golf will be a bit of a memory for the next six weeks. Thompson will return in March when the tour comes to California.
“With playing (QBE) Shootout in December I didn’t get much of an offseason,” she said. “Only had two, three weeks, so I’m looking forward to definitely putting the clubs away for probably a week or two, especially dealing with a little bit of a back issue.
“But I’ll be working hard as soon as I get back into it because I have things that I want to improve on and definitely get stronger.”
Schmelzel finishes career best
American Sarah Schmelzel, 27, fired an 8-under 64 to tie the second best score of the day for her best-ever finish.
Her previous highest had also been at one of the tour’s Drive On Championships, which came into existence to help overseas gaps in the schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. She tied for sixth at Inverness in 2020, and at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii last year.
“Obviously it’s really nice to play well in the final round and move up the leaderboard, something I’ve been working on a lot last few years on tour, so it was nice to see that come together,” she said. “Been playing well all week. Been hitting really good shots and had a lot of good looks, so I think the key was to stay really patient, and finally some putts started to go in on the back nine. Glad I kept it rolling.”
Schmelzel birdied Nos. 12-14 and Nos. 16-18.
“Making the turn I was just trying to make as many birdies as possible because I know the rest of the girls are out there trying to do the same thing,” she said. “I wasn’t sure that I was going to get six out of last seven or whatever it was, so I’m happy with that.”
Tournament has second ace
Stephanie Meadow had a hole-in-one in the first round, and Perrine Delacour had one in the final round, doing so on No. 7.
“So I hit it really good,” Delacour said. “It was 146 meters to the pin and I hit a really good 7-iron. I started a really good line and then I pitch it on the green and then just roll in the hole and start screaming, jumping around with my caddie.”
Delacour shot a bogey-free 67 and tied for 20th.
As with Meadow’s ace, $20,000 will be donated by CME Group to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Lin, Ashok fire 63s
Aditi Ashok and Xiyu Lin both took advantage of a little lighter winds early in the day, both shooting 9-under 63s. The wind did kick up as the final round wore on.
“It was super fun,” said Lin, who finished in a tie for fourth. “When I make the cut and I saw today is going to be a little less windy I really thought this course have lots of opportunities, so I really went for it today and I putted really well. Hit like lots of good shots, have some save. Yeah, it was really nice.”
Lin had birdied Nos. 10 and 12 on the back before coming to the par-4 13th. The tee had been moved up to 254 yards, so it was driveable for a lot of players. She pulled out a 3-wood, but didn’t make the green.
“It just didn’t get a really good bounce so I was on the lip of the bunker,” she said. “I was standing in the bunker, and then it’s not a very easy chip, even it’s only 25 yards away. Then I left it a little short, about 20-footer, and I made that putt. So that was a big move because for short hole you always want to have birdie.”
Ashok felt like she couldn’t miss a putt, and she nearly didn’t.
“Almost every chance I got I made the putt, which was great,” she said. “I wasn’t hitting it as good as I wanted to. I feel like I was not in control most of the time, so I was holing like 10-, 20-footers. Still, the putting worked, so it was a good day.”
LPGA*USGA Girls get inside and along the ropes
There were fans who were Crown Colony members or guests, but there also was a noticeable group from LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. There were 40 from sites across Florida, including Central Florida, Miami and Fort Myers, as well as Fore Life Inc., junior golfers from Miami.
The girls had posters and flags for players to sign following the final round. On Friday, a few also were junior reporters and walked inside the ropes with Girls Golf alums and LPGA Tour rookies Sophia Schubert and Amanda Doherty.
Saturday, a few girls were inside the ropes with Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis and Linnea Johansson.
“We had tons of kids out watching today from the Girls Golf around Florida, so just a good day,” Lewis said.
Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Leona Maguire’s golf career has gone in one direction — up.
After starring at Duke, Maguire signed with former “One Direction” singer Niall Horan’s golf management company Modest! Golf.
Saturday, the former top amateur won her first LPGA Tour event, the Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers, by four strokes.
“I mean, it’s a bit surreal,” said Maguire, who won $225,000 of the $1.5 million purse. “It’s been 17 years in the making, and you kind of wonder if it’s ever going to happen. Just really proud of how I played all week, especially today.”
Maguire is the first winner of an LPGA Tour event in Fort Myers in 47 years. Sandra Haynie defeated Pat Bradley in a playoff at Lochmoor Country Club in the 1975 Greater Fort Myers Classic.
Leona Maguire of Ireland imitates a “selfie” as she poses with the trophy after winning the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club on February 05, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Horan was tweeting his support the past couple of days.
“Yesssssssss!!! First Irish woman to win @LPGA. Couldn’t be prouder of you Leona. Incredible performance,” Horan tweeted Saturday.
“He’s been there right from when I turned pro,” Maguire said. “Been a huge help in my management company. Yeah, Mark and Niall have been there since the start. My sister Lisa works with them as well, so it’s nice to have people in the background looking out for my best interests.
“Niall has been trying to grow the game in Ireland in young girls, and hopefully this win today can help that as well.”
Maguire and Marina Alex started the day with a four-stroke lead over the rest of the field, but by the back nine, the 27-year-old Maguire was in control and on her way. She birdied No. 7, and added another from the pine straw on No. 8, followed up with two more on Nos. 10 and 11, and another on No. 13.
“That birdie on 7 and 8 as well out of the pine straw was huge for momentum making the turn, and then another two on 10 and 11,” she said.
Maguire bogeyed the final hole to finish at 18-under 198.
“You say you want to enjoy it but it’s hard until that sort of the final putt drops and you know it’s for sure,” she said. “You also worry about maybe the leaderboard being wrong or something like that, so you try not to do any of the math in your head or anything like that.
“I was trying to get to 20-under par, that was my goal regardless. A little disappointed to bogey the last, but it happens.”
Maguire had come close to winning, with two second-place finishes on the tour last year, then went 4-0-1 to help the European team win the Solheim Cup in September. When she returned home from Solheim, she was given a hero’s welcome, including a ride in a BMW gold convertible.
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“I guess there is a week before I go home so be a little bit of a time to plan,” Maguire said. “I don’t think the weather in Ireland is quite right for riding around in a convertible as it was in September.
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out. These wins don’t happen very often. It’s incredibly hard to win out here. These girls are so good. We’ll definitely enjoy this win while it’s here.”
Lexi Thompson holed out for eagle on No. 10 to get within two, and birdied Nos. 11 and 13, but Maguire matched those and she didn’t get any closer. She grabbed her back after a wayward tee shot on No. 16 that led to a bogey.
Thompson birdied the par-5 18th to finish alone in second. She had played with Maguire the past two days, so she knew she would be tough to catch.
“She’s such an amazing player,” Thompson said. “I got to play a lot with her out here obviously the last two days, but junior golf as well. Just she has an amazing talent and she’s been striping it and made a lot of great putts the last two days, so I knew coming out there … birdies had to be made to kind of track her down.”
American Sarah Schmelzel shot an 8-under 64 to finish third at 14 under. Second-round co-leader Marina Alex, Stacy Lewis, Patty Tavatanakit, Xiyu Lin, and Brittany Altomare all tied for fourth at 13 under.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire won the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. Maguire finished at 18 under to win her first LPGA Tour event by four strokes.
Maguire grew up playing with her twin sister Lisa, and ended up going to Duke. She held the No. 1 spot on the amateur golf rankings for a record 135 weeks. Maguire was a four-time WGCA First Team All-American, three-time ACC Player of the Year, two-time WGCA and ANNIKA National Player of the Year, two-time runner-up at the NCAA national championship for the Blue Devils.
Maguire actually almost started her professional career earlier, going through qualifying school in 2016 before deciding to return to Duke.
Maguire played on the now-Epson Tour after finishing her collegiate career and won twice.
“I think I’ve worked my way up the levels every time,” she said. “It’s been a meticulous journey. I did it my way, the way I wanted to do it, with the help of my team around me.”
Saturday, Maguire was happy to look back on that decision, with the trophy sitting right next to her.
“I’m pretty sure I’m right where I need to be right now,” she said. “I mean, there is always should have, would have, could have. You don’t know how things would’ve worked out. I’m glad I did what I did and it’s led to this trophy sitting here beside me.
“I’m going to stick to my guns and keep doing what I’m doing.”
Tuesday, Maguire wasn’t as sure she could be the first Irishwoman to win. She played a birdie game against Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow and lost.
“I gave her $20 on Tuesday night,” Maguire said. “I didn’t think I would be sitting here.”
Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/
Lexi Thompson was keeping Leona Maguire in her sights as she moved up the leaderboard at the LPGA Drive On Championship on Friday.
But Thompson’s putter came to the forefront yet again – and not in a good way. She missed a par putt from a couple feet on No. 16, then parred the last two holes to finish at 8 under, and is five behind Maguire.
Maguire birdied Nos. 13 and 18, while Thompson played the final six holes 1-over after making four straight birdies.
“It was overall a very solid day,” Thompson said. “Hit it well. Made some good putts, especially the beginning of the back nine. Hung in strong, so hopefully take that into (Saturday).”
Lexi Thompson plays in the second round of the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony in Fort Myers on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022.
Thompson, 26, has not won since 2019, but tied for second and placed eighth in the last two events of 2021, and tied for sixth last week.
“I’m quite a few back, but just go out there, play like I have the last two days, stick to my game plan, focus on one shot at a time, doing my routine, and just having a good time out there,” she said. “I feel like I’ve had a good attitude this week and just have a good time and go for those birdies.”
Local instructor on LPGA livestream
Fans who caught the three-hour coverage on LPGA.com Friday may have seen West Bay Club director of instruction Katie Detlefsen Dahl, who did a couple of spots with on-course reporter Jerry Foltz.
She did one on preparation for a round on the driving range, and then another on chipping and pitching and dealing with grain, some of the types of lies players have been facing this week at Crown Colony.
Detlefsen Dahl’s appearance stemmed from Brian Carroll, the LPGA’s senior vice president of global media distribution, reaching out to her.
“I love talking about golf,” said Detlefsen Dahl, who moved from Raptor Bay to West Bay last year, and has a 4-month-old daughter. “I have some experience under my belt with doing some of the TV stuff. I’ve done some tips for the Golf Channel.
“They figured I’m close. It’s not my first time in front of the camera. It’s just kind of a fun opportunity to share some insights.”
Detlefsen Dahl said she grew up playing junior golf with some of the players in the field, including co-leader Marina Alex, Amy Olson, and Maude-Aimee Leblanc among others.
“I just have so much respect for the LPGA Tour,” she said. “They’re just such great players. It’s always humbling. The depth of the talent has only gotten better and better.”
Leona Maguire plays in the second round of the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony in Fort Myers on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. She is tied for the lead at -13 under.
“Seamus is probably the most in-form golfer apart from Viktor Hovland on the planet right now,” Maguire said. “It’s incredible to see him doing so well.
“We’ve kind of been going back and forth a little bit last year. He was doing well when I was doing well. He got his first win out there, which was huge for him. I mean, the more Irish people that are doing well the better. It’s great to see him doing well, and hopefully I can sort of keep up with him.”
Power was happy to see Maguire sharing the lead going into the final round.
“I think it’s fantastic,” he said. “She had a great year last year, like an incredible performance in Solheim Cup. And she’s been fun to follow. I met Leona really for the first time properly in the Olympics 2016 and it’s been like fantastic following her progress.
“She came out last year and she’s up in contention and she almost won, it’s not going to surprise me if she wins this week. It’s great, it’s great for Irish golf, it’s great for Irish women’s golf and hopefully she can keep it up.”
Brooke Henderson of Canada hits from the 9th t during the first round of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club on February 03, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Brooke Henderson rallies up leaderboard
The Miromar Lakes resident continued to come back from an opening-hole double-bogey in Thursday’s first round.
She shot a 5-under 67 on Friday and moved up from 51st to a tie for 16th.
“On my 18th hole I made a birdie on the par-5 so I was like, ‘OK, that’s good vibes,'” she said. “Then I made three in a row I guess 3, 4, 5, and then finished with two on 8 and 9, so it was definitely a great way to finish. Finally felt like I figured out this golf course a little bit.”
Naples resident Sophia Popov won’t be joining Henderson in the final round. She shot her second straight 2-over 74 and missed the cut to the low 70 and ties by five strokes.
Henderson would be happy for a tournament to return to the area, though, and be open to fans. The Drive On was a late addition to the tournament schedule, so there were no fans, pro-ams, or full TV coverage.
“I think it would be really cool if we came back another year and were able to have fans from the outside,” she said. “That would be really cool. I think we would get huge crowds just because the community support has been fantastic right here itself.
“Then I’m sure we would get a lot of fans from the outside, too.”
Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/
Leona Maguire and Marina Alex are happy there aren’t many fans this week at the LPGA Drive On Championship.
Not because they don’t enjoy playing in front of them. But that’s part of the reason there aren’t many scoreboards at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers, with only club members and guests allowed to attend.
That’s allowed them to stay focused on what’s in front of them. Saturday will be a chance for Maguire’s first LPGA victory and Alex’s second.
“No scoreboards out here, which is not a bad thing,” Maguire said. “I kind of feel like we’re going back to what it was like in college. College there was no leaderboards. Never knew where I was. I’m not going to look at a leaderboard tomorrow. Just going to try and post a number.”
Leona Maguire of Ireland hits from the 16th tee during the second round of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club on February 04, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
“There is really no indication out there of what’s going on, which I don’t really mind,” Alex said. “I got made fun of for Portland (when she won in 2018), but I truly didn’t check a leaderboard when I played that last day at all. Maybe that’s helping me just not really paying attention to that and just going out there and doing my business.”
Last April, Maguire finished tied for second in the Lotte Championship seven shots behind Lydia Ko and had the 36-hole lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic before tying for second behind Nelly Korda. Maguire made more of an impact in September’s Solheim Cup, going 4-0-1.
So she’s been a hot pick to breakthrough.
Friday, the 27-year-old put herself in position to do so entering the final round with a 7-under 65, tying the low score of the day, to get to 13 under.
Maguire birdied the par-5 18th to increase her lead, before Alex, who finished on the front nine, birdied the final two holes to catch her.
“My wedges have been really dialed in,” Maguire said. “Just staying really patient. I think that’s been the theme of the last two weeks in general with the wind we’ve been getting.
“Taking your chance where you get them, taking the pars on the tougher holes playing into the wind. Sort of coming down the stretch 14, 15, 16, were a grind back into the wind, but felt like I had put myself in a good position early on to sort of relax on the last few holes.”
Alex was tied for the first-round lead with Nasa Hataoka and had a late tee time versus an early one in the first round.
“A little tired,” she said. “It’s a long day. Just up all day and just the rounds are a little bit on the longer side because long walks between, so I’m a little worn out right now.
“I was kind of losing a little steam, but happy to finish birdie-birdie. I kind of like feel like I blacked out a little bit out there toward the end because I was so tired and I was like, ‘All right, we’re almost done.'”
Alex, who played on the Solheim Cup team in 2019, knows of Maguire’s performance last September.
“She’s a fiery girl, great competitor,” Alex said. “It was fun watching her play Solheim, so I’m excited.”
Marina Alex plays in the second round of the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony in Fort Myers on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. She is tied for the lead at -13 under.
Veteran Stacy Lewis shot a 5-under 67 earlier in the day to move into the lead at 9 under and goes into the final round tied for third with Brittany Altomare and Linnea Johansson. Lexi Thompson, Jeongeun Lee6, Patty Tavatanakit are tied for sixth, but five back.
“I had a few shots I would like to hit over again, but got off to a really good start this morning,” Lewis said. “I birdied 8 and 9 (Thursday) finishing out my round, and just kind of kept that momentum going. Made some birdies early. Got tough there on the back nine with the wind kind of playing I think some of the hardest holes on the golf course with the most amount of wind we had today, but just really, really happy with the way I played.”
Lewis, 36, a former World No. 1 who has 13 wins but one since 2017, is happy to be back in contention. She tied for eighth last week.
“Seeing your name on a leaderboard, being in those last couple groups, I told my caddie last week, ‘Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve been in this those last few groups,'” she said. “It’s where you want to be. You want to give yourself a chance to win on Sunday but Saturday this week, and that’s been my goal from Day 1, just giving myself opportunities to win.”
Stacy Lewis plays in the second round of the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony in Fort Myers on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. She finished 9 under.
That’s been what Maguire has been doing, too, and Thompson wouldn’t be surprised to see her hoist the winner’s trophy Saturday.
“I’ve played with her quite a bit, even in junior golf, and we all know the talent she has,” said Thompson, who played with Maguire the past two days. “She played an amazing round of golf today again in the wind. It’s definitely fun to watch, feeding off each other, making birdies on the out there.
“So we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
Maguire is ready for it to bring her first title, but OK if it doesn’t.
She felt like last year she may have been pressing too much when she got into contention.
“I think last year maybe I tried to chase things a little bit too much, put a bit too much pressure on myself, tried to force things a little bit,” she said.
Maguire said she’s drawing from Lydia Ko, who has rebuilt her game after bursting onto the tour with 14 victories in her first four years and got the victory last week in Boca Raton.
“Lydia (Ko) said last week, ‘If you knock on the door enough times eventually it’ll open,'” Maguire said. “I’m adopting that same mentality, putting myself in these positions. Put a lot of work in over the offseason too, and it’s nice that it’s paying off this early in the season.
“If it does, great. If not, no big deal. We still got a long year ahead of us.”
Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/
LPGA Drive On Championship final-round pairings
Saturday
No. 1 Tee
7:40 a.m. — Annie Park, Levittown, N.Y. (-1); Alison Lee, Los Angeles (-1)
Nelly Korda, Jin Young Ko, and Lexi Thompson all in the mix again – yes, please.
After last week’s leaderboard at the Pelican Women’s Championship felt almost too good to be true, it seemed unlikely that the season-ender in Naples, Florida, could match the drama, even with $1.5 million on the line.
And yet, here we are, spoiled by yet another who’s who board of champions that includes the two best players in the world – Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko – duking it out for LPGA Player of the Year honors and a boatload of cash.
Did the LPGA save the best for last? Here are five reasons why the CME Group Tour Championship Sunday final is can’t-miss TV. And yes, it’s finally live on NBC from 1-4 p.m.
With $1.5 million on the line, Jeongeun Lee6 leads by a single shot
It wasn’t all that long ago that Mina Harigae was playing on the Arizona-based Cactus Tour, trying to earn enough money to pay the bills during a global pandemic. Fast forward 18 months and she’s in contention to win $1.5 million at the CME Group Tour Championship.
“I would buy a house for sure,” she said, “and a bunch of Jordan shoes.”
A sparkling, bogey-free 65 at Tiburon Golf Club, highlighted by a chip-in for eagle at the par-5 17th, put Harigae one shot back of 2019 U.S. Women’s Open winner Jeongeun Lee6. Round 1 of the CME was set up for scoring in response to a wet forecast. Players lit up the board on a calm day with preferred lies.
While Harigae enjoyed a legendary junior career in the state of California and beyond, she mostly toiled in the shadows as a professional, that is until she shared the lead going into the weekend at the AIG Women’s British Open at Carnoustie last August and was selected by Pat Hurst as a captain’s pick for Team USA in the 2021 Solheim Cup that same weekend. The 32-year-old Solheim rookie called the week at Inverness the best experience of her life.
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“Being able to pull off the shots that I did during my matches and making some clutch putts, I think that gave me a ton of confidence,” said Harigae.
“Almost as if I can do that there in that kind of atmosphere, I can really do it anywhere on any course in any tournament.”
As for the Jordans, Harigae said she personally only has six pairs but her fiancé and caddie, Travis Kreiter, owns 30. Their collection is stored in the couple’s upstairs loft along with their golf equipment.
“When I see a really good pair, it’s hard for me to pull the trigger sometimes,” she said, “but when I can’t stop thinking about a pair, that’s when I’ll definitely get one.
Harigae reports that she has only spent a maximum of $250 on a single pair so far, but that she might splurge more if the rest of the week goes as planned.
Last Sunday, Jennifer Kupcho struggled to a 7-over 77 alongside fellow American Solheim Cup teammates Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson in the final group at the Pelican Women’s Championship, but she too has strong rookie Solheim vibes to draw from.
Jennifer Kupcho prepares to putt during the first round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 18, 2021, in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
“It probably was my best ball-striking week I’ve ever had in my life,” said Kupcho, who went 2-1-1 at Inverness. “So that definitely gave me confidence.”
2021 Solheim Cup participants are peppering the board early in Naples, with Frenchwoman Celine Boutier joining Kupcho and Harigae at 7 under, and Leona Maguire, Georgia Hall, and Megan Khang at 5 under.
Boutier, who rolled out of Europe’s victorious Solheim moment and into a victory on home soil at the Lacoste Ladies Open, followed by her second LPGA title at the ShopRite in October. The biennial event, she said, gives her an added boost of confidence that she can handle pressure situations.
“I just feel like my personality, in general, is not super confident,” she said, “so I feel like I always have some doubt in my mind that I have to prove myself again and again.”
Hall’s round received a jolt when she drained a 50-foot eagle putt on the sixth hole after reaching the par 5 in two with a 3-wood.
“The greens are probably (some) of the best that I’ve played in the last four or five years,” she said.
Kim joined the foursome at 7 under while World No. 1 Korda shot 66. Thompson responded from a heart-breaking string of short misses down the stretch at Pelican with a 67 at CME. Ko, who is on the verge of clinching the Vare Trophy for the tour’s low-scoring average, posted a 69.
With $1.5 million on the line, here are 18 players to watch this week in Naples.
It’s all come down to this. The last tournament of the LPGA tour season is this week at Tiburon Golf Course. The CME Group Tour Championship is loaded with star power, including last week’s winner of the Pelican Women’s Championship and World No. 1, Nelly Korda.
Lexi Thompson, who fell short down the stretch at the Pelican and is surely looking to bounce back, is also in the field.
The winner of the CME Group Tour Championship will be walking away with $1.5 million, the largest prize in the history of women’s golf.
Tiburon will play as a par 72 throughout the week, measuring in at 6,556 yards.
Here are 18 players in the field to keep your eye on.
Jin Young Ko
Jin Young Ko of South Korea tees off on the fifth hole during the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship at LPGA International Busan on October 21, 2021 in Busan, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Age: 26 Home country: South Korea Resides: Seoul, South Korea LPGA Career Victories: 11 Race to CME Globe: 1
Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda poses with the trophy after winning the Pelican Women’s Championship in a playoff at Pelican Golf Club on November 14, 2021 in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Age: 23 Home country: U.S. Resides: Bradenton LPGA Career Victories: 7 Race to CME Globe: 2
Lydia Ko
Age: 24 Home country: New Zealand Resides: Orlando LPGA Career Victories: 16 Race to CME Globe: 3
Patty Tavatanakit
Patty Tavatanakit waves after putting out on the 10th green during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 22 Home country: Thailand Resides: U.S. LPGA Career Victories: 1 Race to CME Globe: 4
Inbee Park
Inbee Park plays her shot from the second tee during the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 33 Home country: South Korea Resides: Las Vegas LPGA Career Victories: 21 Race to CME Globe: 5
Ariya Jutanugarn
Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand plays her shot from the first tee during day four of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 25, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Age: 25 Home country: Thailand Resides: Bangkok, Thailand LPGA Career Victories: 12 Race to CME Globe: 6
Lexi Thompson
Lexi Thompson and her caddie on the first tee during the first round of the AIG Women’s British Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 19, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Age: 26 Home country: U.S. Resides: Coral Springs LPGA Career Victories: 11 Race to CME Globe: 7
Brooke Henderson
Brooke Henderson of Canada tees off on the 9th hole during the pro-am prior to the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 18, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Age: 24 Home country: Canada Resides: Smiths Falls, Ontario/Miromar Lakes LPGA Career Victories: 10 Race to CME Globe: 8
Minjee Lee
Minjee Lee of Australia waves at the 18th hole during Day Three of the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 21, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Age: 25 Home country: Australia Resides: Perth, Australia LPGA Career Victories: 6 Race to CME Globe: 9
Nasa Hataoka
Nasa Hataoka hits her tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio on July 09, 2021 in Sylvania, Ohio. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Age: 22 Home country: Japan Resides: Japan LPGA Career Victories: 5 Race to CME Globe: 10
Sei Young Kim
Sei Young Kim tees off at one during the third round of the CME Group Tour Championship, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at the Tiburon Golf Club in North Naples, Florida.
Age: 28 Home country: South Korea Resides: South Korea LPGA Career Victories: 12 Race to CME Globe: 11
Danielle Kang
Danielle Kang of Team USA reacts during competition rounds of the Solheim Cup golf tournament at Inverness Club. (Photo: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)
Age: 29 Home country: U.S. Resides: Las Vegas LPGA Career Victories: 5 Race to CME Globe: 12
Jessica Korda
Jessica Korda (USA) tees of on the ninth hole during the first round of the women’s individual stroke play of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 28 Home country: U.S. Resides: Bradenton LPGA Career Victories: 6 Race to CME Globe: 13
Moriya Jutanugarn
Moriya Jutanugarn tees off at the tenth hole during the first round of the LPGA’s 2021 Hugel-Air Premia LA Open tournament at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. (Photo: Ashley Landis/Associated Press)
Age: 27 Home country: Thailand Resides: Thailand LPGA Career Victories: 2 Race to CME Globe: 14
Jeongeun Lee6
Jeongeun Lee6 of Korea lines up a shot during day three of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 24, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Age: 25 Home country: South Korea Resides: South Korea LPGA Career Victories: 1 Race to CME Globe: 15
Yuka Saso
Yuka Saso hoists the US Open trophy after winning in a sudden death playoff following the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Photo by Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 20 Home country: Philippines Resides: Philippines LPGA Career Victories: 1 Race to CME Globe: 16
Leona Maguire
Leona Maguire reads a putt on the third green during round two of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club on June 17, 2021 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Age: 26 Home country: Ireland Resides: Ireland LPGA Career Victories: 0 Race to CME Globe: 17
Celine Boutier
Celine Boutier (FRA) tees off on the ninth hole during the first round of the women’s individual stroke play of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 28 Home country: France Resides: France/Dallas LPGA Career Victories: 2 Race to CME Globe: 18
Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/
The leaderboard heading into the final round at the Pelican LPGA Championship is setting up for a can’t-miss kind of Sunday.
BELLEAIR, Florida – The leaderboard at the Pelican LPGA Championship is an absolute dream. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, tied with 11-time winner Lexi Thompson at 16 under, headlines a holy-smokes kind of board in the penultimate event of the LPGA season.
Jennifer Kupcho, the first woman to hoist a trophy at Augusta National, trails by one and rounds out the all-American final group. While Kupcho looks for her first victory on tour, Thompson looks to win for the first time since June 2019, and Korda looks to claim her fourth LPGA victory to overtake Jin Young Ko in the Player of the Year race. No American has won four times in one season since Stacy Lewis in 2012.
Add in the always-entertaining Christina Kim, who is two back at 14 under and looking to save her card, 2020 Pelican champ Sei Young Kim (-14), 2021 Rookie of the Year Patty Tavatanakit (-13), former No. 1 Lydia Ko (-13), Solheim sensation Leona Maguire (-12) and fan favorite Maria Fassi (-10), and it’s a can’t-miss kind of Sunday.
Also on the line: berths in the CME Group Tour Championship for a chance to win $1.5 million and, for players like Lauren Coughlin and Kim, a chance to avoid LPGA Q-Series.
Sunday will mark the first time that Korda and Thompson will compete in the final group together, but don’t look for Nelly to come out of her shoes trying to rip one past Thompson.
“I mean, I feel like in distance, we’re pretty close,” said Korda, who is averaging 308 yards off the tee this week. “I do definitely have another gear, and I don’t like to whip that out because that gear, I never know if it’s going to go right or left. That’s why I like to keep it level, pretty much. But I mean, she’s playing well. I heard she’s putting really well, too.”
Thompson, who is playing in front of her mother Judy for the first time since the 2019 CME, is averaging 26 putts this week and said she has frequently put in three-hour sessions on her stroke of late. That includes evening sessions on the Perfect Practice Putting Mat.
“Oh, it’s right in my living room,” said Thompson, with a laugh. “Just stares at me. So I’m like, I guess I should putt.”
Never a doubt 👏 @Lexi cards her sixth birdie of the day to reclaim the spot at the top of the leaderboard.
Kim, who is playing this week on a sponsor exemption, played her first competitive round with Korda on Saturday and said she might be her new biggest fan.
“Like in terms of as a human,” she said. “Obviously her golf, you can hand her a frying pan and she’ll be able to do anything with any club.
“But as a human being, like the grace that she has, she was super patient with me because I was like, ‘Let’s talk.’ And she was just totally open to it.”
Maguire, the undisputed “Woman of the Match” at Inverness in September, opened the week with a 62 and thinks she might need another one to contend on Sunday.
“I suppose this golf course sort of demands your attention,” said Maguire, who like Kupcho and Fassi, is looking for her first win on the LPGA.
Ko arrived on the west coast of Florirda on Monday, fresh off a victory on the Ladies European Tour in Saudi Arabia. She went to bed at 1:30 a.m. and woke up at 5:30 a.m. ready to go. It was a rough practice round.
“Kind of didn’t know who I was at that point,” said Ko, who noted that she often sleeps so soundly on long-haul trips that flight attendants sometimes ask if she’s OK.
When she doesn’t have a tournament the next week, Ko often pulls an all-nighter before leaving so that she can sleep through entire international flights.
“To all the flight attendants out there,” she said, “I’m the most probably low-key, hands-off, hands-free passenger onboard.”
Should Ko win on Sunday, she can simply pack up the trophy in the car and head on down to Naples, Florida.
