By: Max Bechtoldt
We have finally reached the end of the Solheim Cup countdown with perhaps the best modern Solheim Cup player ever, Leona Maguire.
For Leona Maguire, it is all about the Solheim Cup. The first Irish representative for Europe, she set the rookie record for most points in a Solheim Cup in her first appearance in 2021, 4.5. That isn’t only the best in Solheim Cup history, but Ryder Cup as well. She went 4-0-1 playing in all five matches and two of those matches didn’t even reach hole 15.
She returned in 2023 and once again was a top player on Europe, probably only behind Carlota Ciganda for the team MVP. While she and Anna Nordqvist struggled in foursomes, she was 3-0 in the other two formats. That included a dominant Sunday singles victory over Rose Zhang, one where Zhang was never in the match.
Overall Maguire is 7-2-1, but even that record doesn’t seem to do her justice. Her energy is infectious, and anyone who has watched her in the Solheim Cup understands it is just different when she is on the course. She is considered by many to be the best performer in the match play format in the world. In the last two editions of the match play event at Shadow Creek she has advanced deep into the tournament, finishing second in 2024 to the buzzsaw that was Nelly Korda.
Maguire is ranked No. 34 in the world and has two wins in her career on the LPGA Tour. She’s consistent, only missing two cuts with six top-10 finishes in 2024. She certainly is not one of the longest players off the tee, but she makes up for it with brilliance around the greens, few players are better from short range.
Maguire on paper may not seem like the best player in this event, but much like the European Team in general, she is much stronger in practice. She is gritty, energetic and pulls off incredible shots.
