Leona Maguire became the first Irish golfer to win on the Ladies European Tour [LET] with a one-shot victory at the Aramco Team Series in Hemel Hempstead.
The 29-year-old from County Cavan had a two-shot lead entering the final day’s play at the Centurion Club but reached the 18th needing a birdie to force a play-off with Spain’s Maria Hernandez.
Instead, the world number 32 produced an incredible approach shot on the par-five closing hole before making the putt for an eagle.
“I knew no Irish girl had ever won on the LET before,” Maguire told Sky Sports.
“That putt was for me, that putt was for my family, and that putt was for Ireland.
“I did it the hard way. It was tough out there, I didn’t play my best golf.”
Maguire was the overnight leader after rounds one and two of the 54-hole tournament and birdied both her first and second holes on Friday to reach 10 under.
A double-bogey on the seventh, however, was part of a run that saw her drop four shots in five holes.
Two-over-par for her round after a bogey on the 16th, she fell behind Hernandez who shot a bogey-free 68 to set the clubhouse lead at seven under.
But set up by that fantastic second shot on the 18th, Maguire holed an eight-footer to get back to eight under and snatch the win.
England’s Georgia Hall, who was playing in the final trio along with her Solheim Cup team-mate Maguire, also reached the 18th needing an eagle to seal victory but came away with a par.
After finishing in a tie for third alongside Ireland’s Lauren Walsh and American Alison Lee on the individual leaderboard, Hall lost a play-off for the team event to France’s Nastasia Nadaud.
