Leona Maguire secures first victory on the Ladies European Tour
Leona Maguire has made history again as the first Irish Woman to win on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco Team Series in Hemel Hempstead London.
After an impressive opening seven-under 66, Leona was a front-runner throughout the tournament and despite a challenging final round, she triumphed with a stunning eagle on the par-five 18th hole.
“Dermot, my caddie, he just kept saying, ‘be patient, be patient’,” Leona said afterwards, “and he said right before [hitting the second shot to 18], ‘let's hit the shot of the year here. It was just a perfect number, and my trusty hybrids came in useful at the end.”
It was indeed a contender for shot of the year, pitching in the perfect spot and feeding onto the green, coming to a stop around six feet from the hole. It quickly became apparent that an eagle would win her the tournament and she held her nerve with ice-cool and steely determination, rolling it right into the centre of the cup and sealing victory.
“I mean, I was just trying to hit a good putt. It was almost a little bit like a Solheim Cup,” she said. “I knew no Irish girl had ever won on the LET before. So, that putt was for me, that putt was for my family, and that putt was for Ireland. It’s a proud moment for all of us.”
In partnership since 2018
Irish professional golfer Leona Maguire has been a KPMG ambassador since she turned professional in 2018.
Leona is a major player at the elite end of women’s professional golf, securing 21 career Top 10 finishes, two career victories on the LPGA Tour and most recently her first victory on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco Team Series in London.
In 2022, Leona secured her maiden title and became the first Irish golfer to win a LPGA title at the Drive On Championship in Florida.
The following year, a near-flawless final round performance propelled Leona to a second LPGA Tour victory at the 2023 Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan and Leona’s standout performance at the 2023 Solheim Cup helped Team Europe hold onto the covered title for a historic third time in succession after a 14-14 draw at Finca Cortesin, Spain much to the delight of her supporters at home and abroad.
This summer, Leona drew recording-breaking crowds to the 2024 KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House. More than 9,000 spectators were in attendance on Sunday as Leona Maguire shot a five-under-par 68 to finish in a tie for 15th.
Commenting on the success of the tournament and sport in Ireland, Leona Maguire said “I think you see the progress it has made in the last few years. It is getting bigger and bigger every year. I think Irish sport is in a perfect place. It is fantastic to see 13 girls in the field this week and not just golf, all the sports. You see it with the women’s soccer team, you see with athletics, there is quite a buzz about women’s sports in this country right now which is fantastic. Obviously, there is a long way to go, but we are moving in the right direction.”
KPMG is very proud of Leona’s achievements to date, and we're excited to support Leona for the rest of the 2024 Season and beyond.
2024 Season
The 2024 season was one of the busiest years ever for the elite female golfers, with the regular LPGA and LET circuit events and the five major championships accompanied by the Solheim Cup, which reverted back to even-year stagings and the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House.
Books for birdies
KPMG are turning birdies to books for schools with Leona Maguire and the KPMG Women's Irish Open.
Competing at the top
'The best way to deal with pressure is knowing that you’re prepared.' Leona Maguire plays in tournaments around the world throughout the season, from US, Ireland to Korea. We caught up with Leona to understand how she stays on top of her game and prepares herself ahead of each competition in order to build on her continued success.
It was a proud moment for all of us at KPMG when Leona made history by securing her first victory on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco Team Series in London, this July. We wish Leona all the best for the rest of the 2024 season and look forward to seeing her in action, inspiring the nation at the 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open next June.
I am grateful for the unwavering support from KPMG throughout my career. Their backing since I turned professional has provided me with the resources and confidence to compete at the highest level. It’s an honour to collaborate with a brand that values excellence and integrity, and their commitment to supporting women in sport and business is truly special. I hope to inspire the next generation of golfers to pursue their dreams with the same passion and dedication.
Find out more
After a decorated collegiate career at Duke University which included three NCAA Player of the Year awards and ACC Championships in 2017 and 2018, the Cavan native turned pro and became a KPMG brand ambassador in May of 2018. Her first professional appearance was at the 2018 Shoprite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey, USA.
Leona competed primarily on the Symetra Tour in 2018 and 2019, with occasional participation on the LPGA and Ladies European Tours as well. 2019 saw Leona take home her first two professional wins: the Windsor Golf Classic in California and the Symetra Classic in North Carolina. Finishing seventh on the Tour’s Volvik Race for the Card list, she successfully graduated from the Symetra Tour and secured her LPGA Tour Card in October 2019.
In February 2020, Maguire recorded her first LPGA top five finish. Then, in 2021, she recorded highest ever finish by an Irish female on the LPGA Tour by finishing second at the Lotte Championship. Since then, she has clocked up a top-10 finish at the LPGA Mediheal Championship, a second place position at the Meijer LPGA Classic and her highest ever placing in a professional golf major with 15th place in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Georgia. She was also selected as part of Team Ireland at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo last summer, which was her second Olympic appearance.
In addition to her inspiring Solheim Cup performance, Leona recently equalled the lowest Major score for men or women with stunning 61 at the Evian Championship. She holds the records for most weeks at No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (135), and best career scoring average for Division I Women’s Golf (70.93).
Leona finished in the top 10 at the US Women's Open in Pine Needles in early June - a huge achievement.
