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Leona Maguire was something of an unknown when she hit the headlines in 2011 and became the toast of European golf with a stunning Solheim Cup show on her debut in the biennial matchplay clash with the best American female golf has to offer.

The rookie thrived as the reigning champions denied Team USA at the Inverness Club, Ohio, and retained the coveted trophy.

The Americans were tipped to wrest the Cup back from a European team that triumphed at Gleneagles in 2019, boasting the likes of then world No. 1 and Olympic champion Nelly Korda as the poster girl leading a deep, deep pool of American talent.

But they failed to factor in Maguire, who helped Europe to a famous 15-13 victory, with the County Cavan native picking up a rookie record 4.5 points from her five matches over three gruelling days at the Inverness Club, including an astounding and dominant 5&4 victory over Jennifer Kupcho in the singles.

Two years on, Maguire cuts a relaxed figure as Team Europe aim for an unprecedented hat-trick of Solheim Cup successes on the spin at Finca Cortesin in Spain this September — an event she very much plans to feature in. 

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“It’s going to be a very different one this year on home soil in Spain,” Maguire tells Golf Digest Middle East on the sidelines of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International outside Jeddah. “I was a rookie last time, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I was just happy to be there and make the team and all the rest.

“This time around, Plan A is to make sure I am there in September, and I make the team. To do that I need to play as well as I can as there are so many good players in Europe these days.”

While nothing is certain about making the final 12 on the teamsheet, Maguire is already doing her homework for September, and relishing a return to team action.

“We took a trip to Finca Cortesin after the Spanish Open last year and it is a great golf course — obviously very different to Inverness in Ohio,” she says. “It will be great to have that home support, and also to get the crowds back after last time, when the fans were not allowed to travel. I am sure there will be a lot of Irish people in that area in the south of Spain, plus a lot more going over, so it will be a very different Solheim Cup this time around.” 

While Europe will have a new captain in Suzann Pettersen, having taken over from Catriona ‘Beanie’ Matthew, there will be a sense of continuity when they get to Spain, as the Norwegian is taking the step up from vice-captain and has retained the services of the legendary four-time Solheim Cup winner Laura Davis as one of her lieutenants. 

“Suzann is putting in all the work behind the scenes to make sure we have the best team out there and we are as ready as possible,” says Maguire. “Both Suzann and Laura have a wealth of experience under their belts in major championships and Solheim Cups — they are two of the best to have ever done it, so you couldn’t ask for much better. Suzann is as competitive as it gets, so she won’t leave any stone unturned to make sure that we come out as the best side we can be. 

“I grew up watching Suzann in Solheim Cups. I remember watching her at Killeen Castle in 2011 and we played the Junior the same week in County Meath. It would have been nice to have been on a team playing alongside her but hopefully I can make the team with her as captain — the next best thing.” 

Maguire delights in the cultural mix and team bonding that the Solheim Cup brings out in the Europeans. 

“We are very lucky as a team with our unique backgrounds,” she says. “In Inverness we all got along so well, right from when we landed. It wasn’t forced in any way, we all just hung out and played table tennis and pool in the team room. We played cards and just chatted amongst ourselves — a lot of it was based on humour and camaraderie and that really brought us all together, from all the different nationalities. 

Paul Severn

“There was a huge mix of youth and experience on that team and I think the older players, vice-captains and Beanie herself were such a calming presence, along with Suzann and Laura. There was so much respect there between the players and captains that you did what they said. Whenever they spoke, you stopped what you were doing and you listened. And the older players like Annika [Sorenstam] and Carlota [Ciganda] really showed us rookies the ropes, and it brought us all together, so we all knew our job and it all clicked perfectly. That is the key to success in these events, I think.” 

Looking ahead to 2023, Maguire feels that, once again, there will be plenty of fresh talent in the squad to get the right balance of youth and experience.

“I think this time around we will have quite a few Scandinavian players — a real Swedish theme — so I might need to brush up on my Swedish,” she laughs, referring to the Pettersen influence and the emergence of a number of Scandinavian stars such as Linn Grant and Maja Stark in recent times. “They are all amazing and it can make us English speakers feel bad that we don’t speak more languages, but we are all one family in the end, regardless of which country you come from. 

“Everybody is already getting along, we all root for each other and cheer each other along.” 

Maguire is happy to see the growth of events such as the Aramco Team Series in the women’s game, and took part in last year’s competition in New York.

“We don’t get to play a lot of team golf out on tour so it is nice to now get the option to play in that team format,” she says. “There is the draft, picking your teammates … they put on a really good show and I really enjoyed being in the team atmosphere once again. I have heard nothing but good things from the girls who have played in the other Aramco Team Series events all around the world, so there will be lots of interesting places to go to.” 

The Irish star is also glad to see women get recognition in such events as the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, where the record $5 million purse was equal to that of the men’s event held at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club two weeks earlier in February. 

“I think we are beginning to get more and more of these events,” Maguire says. “Obviously $5 million this week, plus the World Invitational and Vic Open are now offering better prize money. This week, it is almost like a major for us, you can see that by the quality of the field that is here on this great golf course. 

“I think it is an exciting time to be a woman in golf. Obviously there have been huge strides made in terms of prize money, the likes of PIF, KPMG and AIG have put huge amounts into the game. Plus we get better visibility on the big golf courses as well now — we went to Muirfield last year and we have Pebble Beach this year — and getting primetime TV slots is a really big thing, too.

“The LET has made huge strides in the past few years with the involvement of Aramco. If you told me even a couple of years ago we would be playing for $5 million in Saudi Arabia, no one would have believed it. 

“Plus there are more avenues to allow youngsters to get into the game. They have the Epson Tour on the LPGA, then there is the LET Access Series and the college ranks — there are so many options now and that is the great thing. 

“A few years ago, you either got your LPGA card or you didn’t, or you got your LET card or you didn’t, but now there are so many more opportunities, and that is the big thing to unearth the best talent and give them the best chance of making it. 

“Hopefully we can get a few more Irish players out there in the near future, too.”

Tristan Jones

A real resume of records
Along with her headline-grabbing show in Inverness, Maguire is no stranger to success and holds a number of other records to go with her points score in the Solheim Cup. She held the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for the longest time (135 weeks) and shot the lowest-ever score in the final round of a major by any golfer, male or female (61). She also became the first Irish golfer to win an LPGA event at the Drive On Championship last February.