Maguire looks to answer the “million dollar question” by replicating Solheim Cup form in majors and Olympics

Leona Maguire tees off on the fourth hole during the third round of the 2023 U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. on Saturday, July 8, 2023. (Darren Carroll/USGA)

Leona Maguire admits that translating her sensational Solheim Cup form to the LPGA is the “million dollar question” as she chases Major and Olympic glory this year.

The world number 26 returned to action last week and chipped away the rust by clinching a tie for 12th behind Lydia Ko in the Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona.

The 29-year-old tees it up in the LPGA Drive On Championship this week, a title she won in 2022, seeking her third LPGA win.

But after producing another sensational Solheim Cup-winning performance for Europe in Spain last year, she is looking to find a way of turning on that Solheim Cup magic far more regularly.

“Yea, that's the million dollar, isn't it?” she joked at Bradenton Country Club, where Stephanie Meadow joins her for the first regular LPGA event of 2024. 

“I get asked this a lot. If I had the answer, I would do it every week. 

“Solheim is just a special week. I love match play, team golf. There is something about the Solheim Cup that brings something out in everybody.

“But I think you're a little bit more aggressive maybe in the Solheim. I mean, match play you can kind of go for things. Doesn't really matter if you miss that putt or one hole is one hole.

“It's a little bit of a different mentality, but, yeah, if I can tap into that a little bit more this year, yeah, (it would) be pretty nice.”

Maguire was pleased to finish well in the season opener at Lake Nona last week and she’s looking forward to getting into the swing of things on tour ahead of a season that offers the chance to win a major on the Old Course at St Andrews and Olympic gold in Paris.

“It's been probably the shortest off-season I've ever had,” she said of her break. “Pretty quick turnaround. Nice to sort of keep things rolling and momentum from last week.

“I went home for three weeks, which was pretty nice. About as long as I get at home, so nice to catch up with everybody. Christmas is one of those nice times where everybody is at home, everybody is off work, and good food, good people. Recharge the batteries a little bit.”

Maguire won the Drive On title at Fort Myers two years ago and she’s looking for another big week this week.

“Going to be windy I think, a little bit gusty, a lot like the conditions in Fort Myers actually,” she said. “I managed it pretty well two years ago, so hopefully, I can emulate that again.”

After driving the ball well last year, she looking to improve her iron play and take advantage of her good weeks with the putter, as she showed when winning the Meijer LPGA Classic and leading the KPMG Women’s PGA into the final round.

“For me, the weeks that I putt the best are usually the weeks that I do well,” the Ballyconnell battler explained. “It was pretty evident from like Baltusrol and Meijer and those weeks what made everything go well.

“So just a case of I know what to do. It's just a case of doing it more often.”

Leona Maguire after her chip in on the 18th in the Friday fourballs at the Solheim Cup

Maguire slipped to 11th behind China’s Ruoning Yin with a closing 74 at Baltusrol, but while she’d love to recapture the kind of form she showed in the Solheim Cup in Spain, where she was the difference maker for Europe for the second match running, it’s difficult to create the levels of adrenaline that make the Solheim Cup so special.

“I think that's one of those things in sport,” she said. “I suppose you spend so long chasing wins and chasing all this you don't actually sometimes get to enjoy it as much as it's always onto the next, onto the next.

“So I think the nice thing I found with Solheim is you actually take a little bit more time to enjoy it. 

“I remember going back to Arkansas the next week. You hit a shot and you're waiting for the crowd to cheer and roar and it just doesn't happen. There are only a few people behind the greens.

“So it's definitely a little bit of a comedown, a little bit flat the weeks after, and you're trying to get yourself going again. Yeah, it's a lot of fun to be a part of.”

Bar a major win, the only thing that might come close to replicating that Solheim Cup feeling would be winning an Olympic medal in Paris this summer. 

“Yeah, I think it's been fantastic for golf to be a part of it,” she said of the Games. “I think a lot of people tune into golf in the Olympics that wouldn't normally watch golf.

“I mean, it's the biggest sporting event in the world. I know different people debate whether it should be pro or amateur or things like that, but, I mean, it's a huge honour to represent your country and there is no bigger stage than the Olympic Games.

“Myself and Stephanie Meadow represented Ireland the past few times. We’ve been chatting about it. 

“Rio was a little bit not quite a full experience of the Games with everything that was going on. Tokyo was obviously very different Games.

“So it feels like Paris will almost be our full experience of an Olympic Games. It's obviously in Europe this year, so hopefully a few more friends and family can go. Golf National a obviously an iconic venue from the Ryder Cup and all that.

“It's definitely circled on the calendar and really looking forward to it. I just love the camaraderie with the other athletes as well. 

“Being from Ireland, it's one of those smaller teams. Everybody knows each other. You're cheering for everybody. 

“We typically don't win very many medals, so when someone does win a medal there is a lot of excitement. Everybody comes back and you celebrate with everybody.

“There is a nice sense of team spirit that week that you don't normally get. It's a fun week.”

Maguire believes she’s became a far more co consistent golfer last year and she’s looking to push on in 2024, especially in the majors.

“Yeah, I think just more consistently getting myself into contention more often,” she said.

“The good stuff was really good, and just trying to do that more even, especially in the majors, and week in, week out.

“So if I can bottle that for a bit more, obviously going to be a huge summer, a really busy summer with four majors, Olympics, Solheim, and packed quite into a short amount of time. So I think everybody is going to be trying to peak at that point.

“So just making sure everything is ready to go by the time those summer months roll around, and put myself contention as much as I can leading up to that.”