PGA Golf Professional and Director at P&M Golf Superstore Padraig McGrath brings you the latest from the fairways. In this week’s column Padraig reviews all the action from the Arnold Palmer Cup, as well as Leona Maguire’s LET win.
The Arnold Palmer Cup was a huge success at Lahinch Golf Club last weekend with record crowds showing up to view some of the best college golfers in the world. The prestigious Co. Clare links will host the Walker Cup in 2026 and this was the perfect trial run event and it confirmed Lahinch is the perfect venue for such a prestigious tournament.
The teams were tied on 18 – 18 going into the singles on the final day however the USA showed their strength winning 14.5 to 9.5 and won the event by five points. So many matches went down the final 18th hole but the majority of these were won by the USA team which lead to their victory in the end. The quality of golf was out of this world with World No.1 amateur Gordon Sargent shooting eight under to win 5&4.
Another incredible golf battle went on between Womens Amateur Champion Melanie Green and Douglas Golf Club’s Sara Byrne. Both players played exceptional golf with Melanie having one putt on all nine holes in a row on the back nine. Byrne had been three up after the 11th hole however Greens putting masterclass was out of this world holding from 18ft on the 14th, 40ft on the 15th along with over 10ft putts on both the 16th and 17th to narrowly beat Sara on the final 18th hole with a Par.
Lahinch seems to bring out the best in golfers but you can’t hold putts like that without incredible greens and a huge congratulations has to go out to the green keeping team for having the course in such an incredible condition.
Coach Fennelly had nothing but huge praise for Lahinch and the record-breaking crowds that turned out to watch incredible sporting golf matches. Arnold would have been beaming with joy looking down on Lahinch last weekend. Congrats to everyone involved at Lahinch.
Leona wins maiden LET title :
Leona Maguire gave it her all to secure her win at the Aramco Team Series event held locally at the Centurion Golf Club in Hemel Hempstead.
The Aramco Team Series is comprised of both a team-based event and an individual event, Nastasia Nadaud’s team beat Georgia Hall’s team after a thrilling three-hole playoff.
Alongside the main team event is a three-day individual competition that features the entire 108-player field. Maguire was the leader from the beginning having carded an initial round of 7-under-par.
By the end of her round 3, Spain’s Maria Hernandez was hoping for an excellent final round of 68 to put her in with a good chance of coming away the victor on 7-under-par, but Maguire was close behind.
Entering her final back 9, Maguire was sitting on 6-under following birdies on her first and second holes before a bogie on the 4th and a rare double bogey on the 6th hole, caused by a horrendous nervous looking tee shot slicing her drive well into the trees to the right-hand side. A birdie on the 12th and a bogey on the 16th kept her on that number, but a miraculous closing eagle on the par-5 18th hole saw her claim the trophy in dramatic style winning her first LET title.
Leona Maguire is the first Irish woman to have won an event on the Ladies European Tour, and she was bursting with pride.
“I knew no Irish girl had ever won on the LET before. That putt was for me, that putt was for my family, and that putt was for Ireland. It was a proud moment.”
