Leona Maguire chasing top finish in Atlanta: "There are still a lot of points to be played for"
Leona Maguire. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Leona Maguire carded a grinding one-under 71 to go into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA just three shots outside the top-10 as she chases more world ranking and Solheim Cup points.
The Slieve Russell National star (26) is tied 17th in three-under-par at Atlanta Athletic Club and while she’s 12 strokes behind runaway leaders Nelly Korda and Lizette Salas, she knows she can still walk away with a fistful of vital points as she looks to make Catriona Matthew’s European Solheim Cup side.
“I felt like I played really nice,” said the world No 63 who birdied the par-five fourth and 12th holes before rebounding from a double-bogey six at the 13th with a birdie two at the 17th.
“I got off to a nice start, was solid on the front nine and was one-under heading out. I thought the course was set up a bit tougher today. It was always going to be tougher after everyone went so low yesterday.
“So I stayed really patient, made some really nice pars on the front and had a little hiccup on 13, but I felt like I bounced back really nicely and had a really good birdie on 17 to get under par and finish there for the day.
“I feel like 'I’ve putted really well and my pace putting has been good and I’ve holed some really good putts for par, which is important out there. There’s not… maybe for the leaders… but there’s not a whole lot of birdie opportunities out there. So I felt like I save a lot of good pars. So let’s see if I can hit my irons a little better tomorrow and give myself a few more chances.
“I am going to try and finish as high as I can tomorrow. At the start of the week, I didn’t think it was a golf course that suited me all that well. So I am quite proud of how I hung in. I hit fairways and tried to hit greens and take my chances where I got them.”
Korda, who held off Maguire to win last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan, followed her second round 63 with a 68 to share the lead with Salas, who shot 67 on 15-under par.
They are five strokes clear of Maguire’s former Duke University teammate Celine Boutier (69) of France, Italy’s Giulia Molinaro (66) and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit (65).
“Yes there is a big gap,” Maguire added. “But there are still a lot of places and points to be played for and I will try to post a low one tomorrow morning.”
As for the Solheim Cup, she knows she can still qualify automatically or earn one of Catriona Matthew’s wildcards.
“I can qualify either way,” she said. “Doing well in the Majors should be good for my world ranking, good for Solheim Cuo and good for everything really.”
She added: “I’ve played two Junior Solheim Cups and I have grown up watching it on TV. I love matchplay, I love team golf so hopefully, I can keep playing well for the rest of the summer and give myself a chance to qualify and if not, impress the captain for a pick.
As for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she will be joined by Stephanie Meadow and men’s duo Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, she said: “Yes, it’s exciting. I think the whole country is looking forward to it for all our sports. We have the biggest Olympic team ever and to have Rory and Shane, I think we have a really good chance of winning some medals.
“We will get out there a little bit early so we should get to see them finish their last couple of days. I have never actually seen either of them play in real life. So that will be fun for me to be able to watch them and see them and meet them and be on the same team as them.”
Korda does not see the tournament as a two-horse race as she seeks her maiden Major win.
“You still have 18 more holes, a lot of golf left out here, so anything can happen,” she said. “Someone from behind can come and shoot a really low score. You just never know with golf, and that's the beauty of it.”
As for Salas, who has come through some difficult mental health struggles, she said: “Yeah, my dad says this phrase, "Everything has its moment."
“I think I was meant to go through what I was going through. I think I've learned a lot. I think it brought me closer to my team. It brought me closer to who I really am. I think that just allows me to be myself on the golf course and to play the golf I know how to play.
“You know, whatever happens tomorrow, I'm just proud of how much I've overcome so far, and so we're just going to take it one shot and continue smiling and being myself.”
