Perfect 10 for Leona in Greensboro
Duke's Leona Maguire with her third ACC title
Leona Maguire beat Duke teammate Jaravee Boonchant at the third extra hole to win the ACC Women's Golf Championship for the third time in four years and capture her 10th collegiate title.
The Co Cavan star (23) birdied the 18th to force a playoff, closing with a one-over 73 in wind and driving rain at Grandover Resort's East Couse in Greensboro, North Carolina, to join Thailand native Boonchant on six-under 210.
Duke had already secured the team title but it was the Irish star, now in her last month as an amateur golfer, who claimed her tenth individual win for Duke, her first in 2018 and her third this season with a par at the third extra hole.
After winning the 🏆, hear what @leona_maguire had to say #ACCWGolf #GoDuke 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/oE97Wqodbc
— Duke Women's Golf (@DukeWGOLF) April 23, 2018
"I'm just incredibly happy," Leona said on a day when sister Lisa closed with a battling 79 to tie for 40th.
"It's been a goal of mine to win as many ACC titles as I could. As a senior, this is my last chance. So to get an ACC in my freshman year in a playoff and again as a senior for my third one, I couldn't have asked for a better end than that."
On facing a teammate for the title, she admitted it wasn't easy.
Duke University — ACC champions 2018
"It was a bit of a strange situation. I knew Jara was going to push me all the way today and she played some really nice golf. We were both trying to play as well as we could and I guess it was nice knowing the team title was already there and coming back to Duke either way.
"When you are in a playoff against a teammate — I have been in playoffs with Lisa before — I guess the good things is that either way that title is coming back to Duke, back to the same place."
As for Duke's performance and their prospects heading for the Regional Playoffs, she added: "Conditions weren't easy at all today - lots of wind, lots of rain. And I thought the team fought incredibly hard, especially knowing we had quite a big lead going into the day to even build on that and make that even bigger against a strong Florida State and Clemson side.
"it's a confidence booster going into the post-season. I think we have maybe underachieved a little bit maybe this spring so it was really nice to get a big win here and we will wait and see where we go for Regionals."
On her birdie on the 18th to force a playoff, she admitted she had an inkling it was a must.
"I had a feeling I did. I heard people cheering when she holed her putt and I looked up at the scoreboard and saw her on six under. So I knew I needed one. Either way, I was planning on making one whether it was to get into a playoff or to win. So I think in those situations you are just trying to shoot as low a score as you possibly can and hope it's good enough."
ACC Women's Golf Championship, Grandover Resort (East Course, Par 72 - 6122 Yards) Greensboro, NC US.
1 Leona Maguire Duke -6 F +1 67 70 73 210
(Leona Maguire won playoff at 3rd extra hole)
2 Jaravee Boonchant Duke -6 F E 71 67 72 210
T3 Morgane Metraux Florida State -2 F E 73 69 72 214
T3 Ana Belac Duke -2 F -2 70 74 70 214
T5 Amanda Doherty Florida State E F +5 72 67 77 216
T5 Jennifer Kupcho Wake Forest E F +2 72 70 74 216
T5 Beth Lillie Virginia E F -3 77 70 69 216
T5 Virginia Elena Carta Duke E F -1 75 70 71 216
9 Alice Hewson Clemson +1 F -4 70 79 68 217
T10 Elizabeth Bose Virginia Tech +2 F +3 72 71 75 218
T10 Kennedy Swann Clemson +2 F +3 72 71 75 218
T40 Lisa Maguire Duke +13 F +7 74 76 79 229
