Top 10 start to season for Maguire in “Major” test at Lake Nona

Leona Maguire. Picture: Brian Arthur

Leona Maguire was pleased to get her season off to an encouraging start with a top 10 finish in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida.

The Co Cavan star tied for ninth on six-under par, ten strokes behind Canada’s Brooke Henderson to get a handle on her game before her next outing in the Honda LPGA Thailand in four weeks.

“Lake Nona was in major championship condition so it was a great test to start the year,’ said the world number 11, who shot rounds of 71, 69, 73 and 69.

“Different parts of my game were strong on different days, I just didn’t quite get them all clicking on the same day but lots of positives to take from the week.

“I played my best golf on Sunday in by far the toughest conditions so I will aim to build on that momentum over the next few weeks before we head east.”

Maguire pocketed $41,239 for her week’s work an is now within touching distance of breaking the $3 million barrier in career earnings after taking her tally to $2,948,590 at Lake Nona.

Henderson (25) had enough with a final round 70 to win by four strokes from Sweden’s Maja Stark and England’s Charley Hull in a good result for European Solheim Cup captain Suzann Petterson ahead of September’s match in Spain.