PATIENT LEONA BIDING HER TIME
World Amateur number one is in no rush to join pro ranks opting to honour her commitment to Duke and complete her education
NOBODY can deny that world amateur No 1 Leona Maguire is a rare breed.
But she was an even rarer breed at the pressure-packed LPGA and Symetra Tour Qualifying Tournament Stage II event in Florida last week because her goal was simply to complete 72 holes and secure Symetra Tour status.
While others were under huge pressure to finish inside the top 80, the 22-year from Cavan in Ireland only had to make sure she didn’t keel over.
The reason being that she would be obliged to turn professional were she to win one of 20 LPGA Tour cards at next month’s final stage as the LPGA Tour does not allow players to win cards to defer their status.
Given her commitment to Duke, that’s something she was not prepared to do with graduation just seven months away.
In the end, she achieved her goal with ease, finishing tied for ninth, five shots behind England’s Georgia Hall, on seven-under-par,
She made her commitment to completing her education clear last year when she finished tied sixth at Stage II of Q-School but opted not to go to Finals.
It made no sense to give up on that now and with the LPGA set to restructure the way players win cards via the Symetra Tour next year, she has decided to wait and see how the new schedule is structured.
“Obviously, in an ideal scenario, you’d love to get a LPGA Tour card now and have it ready to go in May, but that’s not an option,” she said at Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice last week
“So the plan is to come here, get Symetra Tour status and then when I do turn pro in May, I will have my Symetra status and whatever invites I pick up rather than having to wait for August or September, depending on how the LPGA restructures the Q-School next year.
“More than likely to is not going to be the same as it is this year and there will be no more LPGA Tour cards.
“But by having Symetra Tour status, hopefully, I will be able to get an LPGA Tour card quicker that way.”
Having picked up her second college win of the 2017-18 season for Duke and the ninth of her career at the Tar Heel Invitational earlier this month, Maguire is gunning for the two big honours to have eluded her so far – the NCAA individual and team titles.
“It’s been going well so far!” the reigning Ladies’ British Amateur champion said of the new season.
“I think college golf has gotten stronger and stronger every year that I’ve been out here, looking at some of the scores people have been shooting on what are not easy golf courses.
“I am happy with my game the way it is. I had a good summer, and it is good to continue that form over here. We definitely have a very strong team at Duke this year, breaking school records in our last two events.
“Nationals were obviously very disappointing last season and not how we would have liked to finish. So we’ll have one more crack and give it a much better go this time and hopefully come back with some trophies.”
As for her move into the professional ranks, Maguire said it will happen after graduation in May but she’s still not sure where she will make her pro debut.
“I will have to figure out where and when I am going to play next year based on when the schedule is released in December-January time and see what invites I can get,” she said.
“I can get a maximum of six and try to qualify for any majors. So it will just be a case of trying to figure out if I want to play a mixture of Symetra or LPGA Tour events or stick to Symetra and try and get my LPGA Tour card that way.
“I haven’t finalised that yet.” The Curtis Cup will be played at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, in Scarsdale, N.Y from June 8-10 and the game’s top woman amateur has not ruled out a fourth appearance.
“If I am not playing in a pro event, I will definitely play,” she said. “It’s one of the best amateur events in the world, and I’ve enjoyed it the three times I have played.
“So I am definitely not ruling it out. It will all depend on what events I get into and how they fit into the schedule.”