Leona Maguire expressed her frustration with her limited participation in the recent Solheim Cup, stating that it fueled her determination to secure a victory for Team Europe in the Sunday singles match. Having previously excelled in her first two Solheim Cup appearances, where she played in all 10 sessions and earned seven and a half points, this year’s tournament saw her feature only twice amidst her team’s 15.5-12.5 loss to Team USA.
Maguire teamed up with Georgia Hall for a disappointing 5&4 defeat in the Friday fourballs and did not take part in Saturday’s sessions. However, she made a strong comeback on Sunday, winning 4&3 against Ally Ewing.
“I feel like I’ve been playing really great golf all week in practice, and it was a bitter pill to swallow to be sat out for as many sessions as I was,” Maguire commented. “I had a point to prove today. I love the Solheim Cup, I cherish match play, and I was determined to contribute to the team.”
Despite her previous successes, Maguire noted that she was given little explanation for her reduced role, suggesting that her height and perceived lack of birdies might have influenced coach Suzann Pettersen’s decisions. “I think I proved today there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and I made plenty of birdies today,” she added.
Pettersen acknowledged the challenges of managing player roles in a 12-person team, emphasizing the importance of utilizing all players for overall success. “It’s always going to be hard to do the pairings. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you get outplayed,” Pettersen explained. “We have no regrets of what we did as a team. We tried our best.”
Team Europe fell behind by four points after the first day and faced a similar deficit entering the Sunday singles. Despite winning 6.5 points on the final day, they could not overcome the gap, marking their first Solheim Cup loss since 2017. Pettersen reflected on the team’s slow start, indicating the need for internal improvement to avoid coming from behind in future competitions.
Maguire’s commitment and strong performance on Sunday showcased her resilience, even amid challenges faced during the event. With valuable experiences gained, Team Europe looks to build on this for future tournaments.
