Leona Maguire is looking to add another entry on her already bulging list of achievements when the 28-year-old from County Cavan in Ireland tees off on Thursday at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
This year, there has been a five-fold increase in the purse from $1 million to $5 million at the event, which sees parity with the men’s PIF Saudi International.
And that would be a welcome addition to Maguire’s achievements that already includes her holding the record for holding the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for the longest time (135 weeks), the lowest ever score in the final round of a major by any golfer, male or female (61) and the all-time rookie points score at either the Solheim Cup or the Ryder Cup (4.5 points) when Europe retained the trophy at Inverness Club in Ohio.
Not that she will have an easy time of it. This week 120 players from 30 countries will do battle in the 72-hole stroke play competition with a cut to top 60 professionals and ties after 36 holes.
“I think this is the first event of the year for some of the girls from the LPGA and some on the Ladies European Tour too,” she told Golf Digest Middle East at Royal Greens on Tuesday. “So I think eveyone is just excited to get going — it is a pretty big event with the field and the prize money.
“It is a great golf course and I am excited for hopefully four great days of golf here. It is a big prize on offer so I am pretty sure everyone will want to be holding that trophy by the end of the week.”
