Leona Maguire became the first Irish woman to win on the Ladies European Tour after making a stunning eagle on the final hole of the Aramco Team Series at the Centurion Club.
The Solheim Cup star led from day one in each of the tournaments at the Hertfordshire venue after rounds of 66 and 72 moved him to the top of the leaderboard by 8.
It was an up-and-down final day for Maguire who made it two over, and was on the back nine heading into 18 knowing he needed to make an eagle to secure victory.
After driving just short of the fairway bunker on the par-five final hole, he hit a superb second shot with a hybrid to five feet to leave himself with an impressive eagle putt, which he duly rolled in for the LET record and win. at eight-under par.
“I feel like I did it the hard way today,” Maguire said. “It was difficult there; I didn't play my best golf, but Dermot, my caddy, kept telling me to be patient. Just before that shot on 18, he said to me 'let's hit the shot of the year here'. It was a perfect number, and my trusty hybrids worked again.
“I knew Alison [Lee] I was running, I thought I had to get to 10-under-par – that was the number I had in my head. I just sat there when things didn't go well and waited for the turn, so it was nice to finish in style on the 18th. I'm looking forward to the summer and couldn't have asked for a better start to this. part of the season.”
Speaking about his eagle putt on 18, he added: “I was trying to hit a good putt! It was like the Solheim Cup, I didn't know that no Irish woman had ever won the LET before. That putt was mine, that putt was my family's and that putt was Ireland's. It was a proud moment.”
Spain's Maria Hernandez finished in second place at seven under par after a free final round of 68. The Spaniard rolled in birdies on the first, fifth, 10th, 16th and 18th holes to close out another top-10 in the LET in. 2024.
The trio finished in third place with Ireland's Lauren Walsh, America's Alison Lee and England's Georgia Hall all on six points.
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In the team competition, Team Nadaud secured victory over Team Hall after a three-hole playoff at the end of the day. The captains returned to the 18th round as Nastasia Nadaud of France and Georgia Hall of England battled it out to win the team title.
Both players made an eagle on the first playoff hole and a birdie on the second qualifying hole before Nadaud rolled in his birdie putt on the third to secure victory for his team.
“I don't even know how I took this thing! I was nervous on the first tee,” said Nadaud, a junior. “I was very afraid that I would not hit the ball. I was scared, I was shaking.”
Kristyna Napoleaova of Czechia, who was the captain who won in Hong Kong last year, explained: “We were very nervous on the sidelines, it was amazing to watch both Nas. [Nadaud] and in Georgia [Hall]. They both played amazing golf, I think everyone here enjoyed the playoffs. It was so much fun to watch. To be eagle-birdie-birdie from those positions. It was great, well done to both teams.”
Newbie George Brooksbank added: “It was incredible to play with them and watch them and I had complete faith, every time Nastasia had the putter in her hand I thought the ball was going into the hole. It was great to be here.”
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