Leona earns Tour Championship reprieve; Power’s Bermuda boost
Leona Maguire
Leona Maguire held onto her spot in this week’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship by just 12.7 points despite missing the cut in The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.
After packing her bags early, the Co Cavan star was projected to drop to 61st in the season-long race with only the top 60 making this week’s $11 million CME Group Tour Championship finale at Tiburon, where the winner will take home $4 million, which is the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf.
Results went her way, however, and the Ballyconnell native (29)fell just one spot to 58th in the end, as there was just one change in the top 60 from the previous week with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda finishing tied for 14th to play her way into the Race to the CME Globe.
Ciganda moved from 63rd to 60th, replacing Stephanie Kyriacou, who missed the cut and fell from 60th to 62nd.
The title went to world number one Nelly Korda, who became the first player since Yani Tseng in 2011 to win seven times in a single season on the LPGA Tour and the first American to do so since Beth Daniel won seven LPGA Tour titles in 1990.
She began the day in a tie for second with Weiwei Zhang at 11-under, one shot behind England’s Charley Hull.
The American went out in two over par but then made five birdies in a row from the 11th to lead Hull by two with three holes to play at Pelican Golf Club before closing with three pars.
Her three under 67 clinched her 15th LPGA title by three shots from Hull, Zhang and Jin Hee Im on 14-under.
“It's so nice to play in front of friends and family so close to home,” Korda said. “I think that's what makes me so comfortable out here.
“I didn't start the day the way I wanted to, but it's not how you start, it's how you finish.
“To have that run that I did on those five holes, I kept myself in it all day. I didn't make big mistakes but couldn't get really anything going. To go on that run that I did feels really nice.”
Strong finish for Power
Meanwhile, Seamus Power saved the best for last and closed with a six-under 65 to tie for 23rd on nine under in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
The West Waterford man fell just one spot to 55th in the FedExCup Fall Series and remains on course to end the season ranked between 51st and 60th after this week’s season-ending RSM Classic at Sea Island in Georgia.
If he maintains his top 60 status he will earn Signature Event starts in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera early next year.
A win would secure returns to the Masters and the US PGA, as well a valuable Ryder Cup points.
The title went to Puerto Rico’s Rafael Campos, who finished on 19-under-par to claim his first PGA Tour win and his first major starts.
After starting the week ranked 317th in the world and 147th in the FedExCup, the 36-year-old is now headed to the 2025 Masters and PGA Championship.
Campos arrived in Bermuda just days after his wife Paola gave birth to their first child.
After surviving high winds, Campos broke into tears when he held off a weak field by three shots.
“It's been an unbelievable week, best week of my life,” Campos told Golf Channel.
“After such a bad year, to have things kind of go my way, everything together at once, I'm just so happy and grateful to have the support I do.
“My team, my coaches, my sponsors, my family. My caddie did a great job today. I just can't believe this is actually happening to me after such a year. I'm just grateful to be able to call myself a PGA Tour champion.
“It's something I've dreamt about all my life. I just want to call my family.”
