Leona Maguire The story behind the Cavan girl taking the world of ladies golf by storm
By Cathriona Murphy
Leona Maguire – The Cavan girl who changed the face of Irish Ladies Golf chats all thing Solheim Cup, moving to North Carolina for College, family relationships and how a bet over a Mars bar possibly encouraged one of Irelands greatest sporting exports!
Leona, from swimming to golf, sports has always been a huge part of your life. Who was the biggest influence in your life that inspired you to pursue golf?
I grew up in a competitive household and we all loved playing every sort of sport or game with and against one another. Anything from monopoly to cluedo to a game of crazy golf was competitive but we always could have a laugh about it when the game was over. I have always had a passion for sport and I enjoyed playing lots of different sports with my siblings and friends from a young age. Dad introduced my twin Lisa and I to golf when we were about nine or ten. At that point it was just during the summers and at weekends. We started off with three golf clubs between us. We had a driver, some sort of iron and a putter and Dad used to bring us to the driving range at Slieve Russell – that was our playground growing up. We used to bet a Mars bar who could get it across the road that runs across the driving range, it’s not far it’s about sixty or seventy yards out.
You broke records from a very young age, alongside your twin sister Lisa. What was it like to share your journey with her?
Our situation was definitely unique but also hugely beneficial. It was great to have someone to share the journey with day in day out. Golf as an individual sport can get quite lonely at times so in that respect it was great that we had each other to play and practice with. We were both equally competitive so in that sense it really helped to keep each other motivated and to spur each other on.
How did your parents find balancing their jobs as school teachers, home life in Cavan with yourself and Lisa’s constant travelling and competitions?
My parents have been huge role models for me growing up and still remain very much so to this day. They have made so many sacrifices in order to ensure that I have the opportunities to pursue my dreams both on and off the golf course and for that I couldn’t be more grateful. I am so lucky to have such a great support system at home, they really are my biggest fans and I really wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
College life can be a tough transition for any young person, how did you find life settling into Duke University after growing up in Cavan and was it a conscious decision for your golfing career?
Going to Duke University in North Carolina for four years was one of the best decisions I ever made. I was in class during the day surrounded by future NBA players, Olympians, people that were trying to cure cancer, people that were going to be Supreme Court Justices and lawyers and doctors. You were just around that culture of excellence, so everybody seemed to be achieving something great. It didn’t matter what field they were in. I thoroughly enjoyed my four years there and relished every second. For me, Duke was the perfect balance of top-class academics and competitive athletics and I was challenged on a daily basis in both areas. It was great to be surrounded by so many like-minded students and athletes that were driven to achieve the top realms of their chosen career path. We all motivated and supported one another on our journeys and I am truly made the some great friends for life throughout my time there.
The list of your accolades and achievements are astonishing. What moment of achievement in your career thus far is the one that really stands out to you?
The Solheim Cup in Toledo was definitely the highlight of my career so far. From the outset of this year I was really looking forward to the possibility of making the European Team and I couldn’t have been happier that my play throughout the year impressed Captain Matthew enough to give me a wildcard pick. The week itself was more amazing than I would’ve ever dreamed of it being, from start to finish the team was incredible and we really made memories that will last a life time. Earning 4.5/5 points for Team Europe really was the icing on the cake and just added to what really was a truly special week.
You were recently included in “Girls Play Too” by Jacqui Hurley, an incredible book based on the achievements of Irish women in sports. With Irish golf dominated with names such as Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy, do you feel there is enough opportunity for women to pursue golf as a career in Ireland?
I think that it is great for young girls in Ireland to have two female roles models to look up to in the game of golf at present. Both Stephanie and I would love to inspire more young girls to take up golf and show what can be possible if you follow your dreams. When we were younger, there were no Irish players on the LPGA so we looked up to the great players in the men’s game like Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley. I think that it is very special that young girls can now have role models on the female side as well and hopefully there’ll be even more Irish players on the LPGA in the future. It was an honour to represent Ireland at the Olympics in Rio with Stephanie in 2016 and again this summer in Tokyo. We practice hard every day to be as best prepared for the high-pressure situations that are thrown our way on LPGA tour, there is no better feeling than being able to pull off impressive golf shots when we need to most and those are the moments on tour that are truly rewarding and special after years of dedicated hard work and sacrifice.
When you made the decision to turn professional, was there any sense of trepidation or hesitancy on your side? Did you have any fears of the success of your amateur career not being matched along with the pressure of people watching this move in your career to see how you did?
Elite level amateur golf is as competitive now as it has ever been. I really believe that my time spent as part of the Irish Team traveling internationally to elite competitions really eased the transition to the pro ranks. Playing collegiate golf in the US was also hugely beneficial in preparing me to make the leap from the amateur ranks to the professional stage. Playing at Duke for four years provided me with the opportunity to play some of the best courses in the US, allowed me to become acclimated to playing conditions in the US while also competing against some of the world’s top amateurs on a regular basis. My play in collegiate and international amateur tournaments was rewarded with many invites to play in some LPGA, LET and major pro events. Playing these events as an amateur provided me with exposure to the highest levels of tour golf and also provided me with the confidence in my abilities knowing that I could compete with the world’s best. The biggest challenge I have found between playing amateur golf and pro golf has been with respect to the travel demands of the playing schedule. We play a demanding schedule of events around the world, often playing 6-8 weeks continuously. However, the gym training and planning that I do in the offseason really prepares me well to be as I can be to perform at my best in every tournament that I do play.
To represent your country in an Olympics is a huge achievement in itself but to do it twice is amazing. How did your home town of Cavan respond to being home to an Olympic athlete and did you receive much support from them?
The people of Cavan love their sport, GAA is definitely the favourite but all our sport stars receive tremendous support locally and across the county. The homecoming in Ballyconnell was incredible and something that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
These last two years or so have been very difficult for everyone and it was really nice to be able see friends and family lining the streets and it was really lovely to see so many people with great big smiles on their faces. I think its great that the young people all over the county have role models to look up to also. Seeing local people succeed and compete in the Olympics hopefully gives aspiring athletes something to aim towards and who knows we might have many more Olympians in the coming years!
You have paid credit in the past to people like Shane O’ Grady your coach, Dermot Byrne your caddy and of course your sister Lisa who switched to management. In a
sport that seems from the outside to be so individual and self-supportive, how important is it to have a good solid support system in place behind the scenes.
I am really lucky to have the best community of people around me, who encourage and support me no matter what. First and foremost my family have been the backbone of my support structure since day one, and they really have made so many sacrifices along the way to ensure that it was possible for me to achieve my goals of playing golf at the highest level. My mam and dad have been amazing, they really have made it possible for me to play golf professionally and without their continued support, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today. I am very lucky that I have a great support team around me that that have guided me throughout my amateur career and through the transition to pro golf, coaches, physio, S&C coach, nutritionist and now agent and sponsors. My team do trojan work behind the scenes and they’ve been invaluable to my career so far.
Can you tell our reader’s what a typical day in your life looks like?
My training routines vary considerably depending on the time of year and if we are in season or not. During the off-season I spend more time in the gym, getting stronger and building up more swing speed in order to gain more yardage off the tee. I think that as golfers, it is important that we are physically strong and stable, but we also have to be flexible and agile enough to bee dynamic. I also spend some time with my golf coach, working on certain aspects of my technique, to make my swing more consistent and my ball flight more accurate for the upcoming season. During the season, my training in the gym focuses more on maintaining the strength that I have built up over the course of the off-season. I will continue to work on generating more and more swing speed throughout the year, every extra yard of the tee helps! I definitely place more emphasis on activity recover between events and after rounds too. I work with my physio to prevent any injuries and I also try and keep flexible and mobile by alternation some Pilates and some swimming sessions. When the season is in full flow, we typically play 3-5 tournaments in a row and then have one week off. During the off-week, I would typically work on aspects of my game that I felt needed a little fine tuning, and I usually spend the majority of my time practicing my short game and putting, playing games against the other pros to keep us sharp.
What goals have you set for 2022 and what do you hope to achieve?
2021 was an incredible year for me filled with many highlights and special moments, from competing in my second Olympic Games in Tokyo to the unforgettable week at the Solheim Cup in Toledo. As I move forward into 2022 I hope to build on those performances and channel the confidence garnered throughout the year to ensure that 2022 is even better. I have been working hard with my coaches during the off-season both on and off the course with the aim of improving accuracy off the tee while also maximizing clubhead speed and distance. Competing and contending at the 5 major championships will be a main goal of mine this year. Those events showcase the very best of what the LPGA has to offer and my final round 61 at Evian last year really proved to me that I can compete with the best in the world. Finally, I hope to continue improving my Rolex World Ranking in 2022, starting the year just inside the Top-50, I would aim to drop that as low as possible in the coming weeks and months with the ultimate goal of closing in on the top spot at some point in the future.
With any interview as of late it is hard to ignore the previous 2 years and current situation with the pandemic. How has it impacted your career and personal life and have you taken any positive from it?
I think I had just returned from a series of tournaments in Australia when everything ground to a halt. We had played 3-4 tournament of the 2020 season at that point and I had just come off my best finish, T4 at the Vic Open in Melbourne. It was my rookie season on the LPGA, so I really felt as though I was only finding my feet and gaining some nice momentum when events were cancelled one after each other. That said, it really was nice to be able to spend some quality time at home with my family. I spend so much time travelling during the year, and don’t get that chance to be at home for prolonged periods, so it was really nice for us all to be under one roof for a while. We have some gym equipment and a nice big field out the back of the house too, so I was able to keep up my training throughout, one of the perks of living in the countryside.
What advice would you give to any young reader on chasing their dreams and achieving their goals?
I have learned that nothing is impossible as long as you set your mind to it and just go after it with everything that you have. Never be afraid to make the most of the opportunities that arise in your life and with some hard work and resilience there is nothing in life that you can’t achieve. I would advise all young boys and girls to play as many sports as they can and to stay as active as they can growing up. Sport is a great way to meet new people, travel the world and experience new cultures all while learning new skills that will stand to you in all other areas of your life. But most importantly, have fun while playing sport, try playing with as many friends as you can and enjoy being outside in the fresh air after school or at the weekend. One last thing that I would say is to not get discouraged if you don’t enjoy the sport right away, there are so many different types of sports and activities that you can take part in, there really is something for everybody and you can achieve anything if you work hard enough!
