Major week for Leona and Stephanie
Professional Stephanie Meadow and world amateur No 1 Leona Maguire will get some vital experience ahead of the Olympics when they tee it up in the LPGA ANA Inspiration — an LPGA major t — at Rancho Mirage in California today.
The event takes places on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club and represents a first LPGA major experience for Cavan amateur Maguire, who will miss the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Georgia with Duke University.
Currently the No. 1 ranked amateur golfer in the world, Maguire was invited to play thanks to an agreement between the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the European Golf Association (EGA).
She has held world number 1 amateur position since May 2015 and will be joined by fellow amateur players Hannah O’Sullivan and Bronte Law, world numbers 2 and 4, respectively.
Meadow turned professional in 2014, finishing third on her debut in the US Women’s Open at Pinehurst in North Carolina.
She had a conditional card for 2015 but then missed out on an LPGA tour card at final qualifying last December and is playing the Symetra Tour and a limited number of LPGA events this season.
She was honoured with the Heather Farr Perseverance Awardlast year which recognises a player who, through her hard work and dedication and love of the game of golf, has demonstrated determination and perseverance on the road to fulfilling her goals.