Leona Maguire notches another Top 10, withdraws from Astor Trophy
Leona Maguire. Picture courtesy: Duke Photography
Leona Maguire notched another 10 Top with Duke University shortly after pulling out of the Great Britain and Ireland side that travels to Australia in January to defend the Astor Trophy.
The 19-year old Slieve Russell player, outstanding for Duke Univeristy in her freshman year and ranked No 2 in the US in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Women's Collegiate Individual Rankings, has been replaced by Welsh stalwart Chloe Williams, who will gain her first full cap for GB&I.
Leona withdrew from the team "for educational reasons," the LGU said in a statement.
Players at NCAA colleges need an educational waiver before applying for permission from their coach to play abroad during the college season.
Players must then qualify internally for their team for each event, regardless of their ranking, and both Leona and her twin sister Leona Maguire are expected back at Duke on January 5 to prepare for the Northrop Grumman Challenge in Palos Verdes, California, from February 8-10.
The Australia trip would have meant missing at least two weeks of classes as the Astor Trophy (Jan 12-16) was to be followed by an appearance in the Australian Amateur Championship in Sydney from January 20-25.
Leona continued her hot start to the season by claiming her fourth successive Top-10 with a share of seventh in the 2014 Landfall Tradition on Sunday.
Duke also finished tied seventh over in the team competition behind Wake Forest.
In the final round, Leona eagled the 18th on the Country Club of Landfall - Dye Course to close with a two under 70 — hitting 14 fairways, 13 greens and rolling in 32 putts.
She had opened with a brave of level par 72s and has now shot par or better in 11 of her 12 tournament rounds so far, finishing T5, 2nd, T3 and T7 in her first four events.
Lisa notched a final round 76 for tied 66th and gone T15, T55, T27 and T66 in her first four starts for the Blue Devils.
"Leona went under par," her coach Dan Brooks said. "That was a very bright spot to go two-under. It's not an easy golf course. The Pete Dye Course at Landfall is not easy. So if you're going under par, you're playing great golf."
