Top 25s for Maguire and Meadow in Arizona
Leona Maguire pictured playing in the Pro-Am at the 2022 KPMG Women's Irish Open at Dromoland Castle. Picture: Brian Arthur
Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow tied for 23rd behind France's Celine Boutier in the LPGA Drive On Championship in Arizona.
The Irish duo closed with four-under-par 68s at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club to finish on 13-under-par and pick up $15,022.
Boutier, a former college teammate of Maguire's at Duke, beat major champion Georgia Hall at the first extra hole to capture her third LPGA Tour victory and move to the top of the Race to CME Globe standings.
The 29-year-old, who began the day with a one-shot lead over Hae Ran Ryu, Alison Lee and Moriya Jutanugarn, closed with a 68 to Hall's 65 as they tied on 20-under, one stroke better than Japan's Ayaka Furue.
Returning to the par-five 18th for the playoff, Boutier chipped to six feet and made the putt to win after Hall missed a 12-footer having found the back bunker in two.
"It's definitely very gratifying," Boutier said after claiming the winner's cheque for $262,500. "I think it's very much a little bit of a relief because I've been trying to win for a few years now. I guess it's been two years.
"Was definitely feeling a little bit down at times and a little bit frustrated thinking, can I actually do it? To be able to do so this week with this strong of a field is definitely very good for confidence.
"I feel like my game was good enough for the past couple of years for sure. I just wasn't able to win. I feel like it's something you need to learn. I definitely had a bunch of opportunities last year and wasn't able to do it, so to be able to do it this early in the season this year is definitely very satisfying."
Hall said: "Obviously, fantastic to get to the position I was in. I knew I had to shoot low today, and obviously gutted about the playoff. I had a lot of adrenaline on my second shot and it went a very long way.
"I played well, to be honest, every day this week. I'm proud of myself."
Maguire, who as the defending champion in Arizona, lies 13th in the points list after her first four LPGA starts of the season, while Meadow is 68th after an encouraging performance in her first start of 2023.
The Irish duo move on to this week's DIO Implant LA Open at Palo Verdes Estates.
Maguire plans to skip next week's LOTTE Championship in Japan and so will have two weeks off after this week's event in Los Angeles to get ready for the first women's Major of the season, The Chevron Championship at The Woodlands in Texas from April 20-23.
"I'm just trying to put myself in position, move myself as high up the leaderboard each week as I can and put in those positions to be ready for Chevron," Maguire said.
Meadow has not yet qualified for The Chevron Championship.
