Leona Maguire Bio
Leona Maguire (born 30 November 1994) is an Irish professional golfer from County Cavan, Ireland. She held the record for the most weeks at the top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking and, in 2022, became the first Irish woman to win on the LPGA Tour. In 2024, she added a Ladies European Tour title, making her the first Irish woman to win on that circuit as well. With a 61 in the final round of the 2021 Evian Championship, she also set the record for the lowest final-round score in any major championship in golf history.
Off the course, Maguire is recognised for her academic achievements, having graduated from Duke University with a degree in psychology and a certificate in markets and management studies. In December 2024, she was inducted into the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Players Hall of Fame, becoming the first Irish golfer to receive that honour. She has been sponsored by Puma, Ping, Allianz, and KPMG throughout her professional career.
Early Life and Background
Leona Maguire was born on 30 November 1994 in County Cavan, Ireland, and grew up there with her twin sister, Lisa Maguire, who is fifteen minutes older. The sisters were introduced to golf at a young age, and at nine years old, Leona gave up a promising swimming career to focus on the sport. The Maguire twins became widely recognised as two of the most talented young amateurs in Irish golf history.
She attended Loreto College in Cavan, where she completed her secondary education with top scholastic honours. In 2014, after finishing school, she enrolled at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where she studied psychology and earned a certificate in markets and management studies. During her time at Duke, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, America’s oldest academic honour society, reflecting her strong performance both in the classroom and on the course.
Maguire’s early talent was evident from childhood. In 2005, she won the HSBC British Wee Wonders Championship at St Andrews by eleven shots, and in 2007, she became the youngest golfer to participate in a Ladies European Tour event at just twelve years old. By 2008, she had become the youngest winner of the Irish Women’s Amateur Golfer of the Year award at the age of fourteen.
Path to Professional Golf
Maguire’s amateur career was marked by a string of historic achievements that established her as one of the greatest amateur golfers of her generation. Between 2012 and 2014, she captured multiple national titles, including the Irish Girls Open Strokeplay Championship, the Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship, and the Portuguese International Ladies Amateur Championship. Her performances in team events, such as the Curtis Cup and the Vagliano Trophy, further cemented her reputation.
At Duke University, Maguire became one of the most decorated college golfers in NCAA history. She won the Annika Award twice, was named WGCA Player of the Year twice, and earned the Mark H. McCormack Medal three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017 as the world’s top-ranked female amateur. She set multiple scoring records at Duke and finished her college career with a 70.97 stroke average, the best in NCAA history for a female golfer with at least 100 rounds.
After representing Ireland at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she finished as the leading amateur, Maguire turned professional in June 2018. She signed with Niall Horan’s Modest! Golf Management and quickly made an impact on the Symetra Tour, winning her first professional event at the Windsor Golf Classic in April 2019. By October 2019, she had secured her LPGA Tour card for the 2020 season, joining Stephanie Meadow as one of only two Irish women ever to play on the LPGA Tour.
Leona Maguire Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Maguire made her professional debut on the LPGA Tour at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June 2018, finishing fifteenth. She quickly transitioned between the LPGA Tour and the Symetra Tour, using the developmental circuit to gain experience. In 2019, she claimed her first professional victory at the Windsor Golf Classic in California, winning a playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole.
Her breakthrough year came on the Symetra Tour, where she recorded multiple wins and consistent top finishes. She won the Symetra Classic in May 2019 by five strokes and finished the season seventh on the money list to earn her LPGA Tour card. Her rapid rise saw her climb 440 places in the world rankings within a year of turning professional.
LPGA Tour Breakthrough (2020–2022)
Maguire’s first full LPGA season in 2020 was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but she still managed a fourth-place finish at the ISPS Handa Vic Open and ended the year ranked number one on the LPGA Putting Average statistics list. Her ball-striking and consistency drew attention, and she entered 2021 ranked among the top players in several statistical categories.
The 2021 season marked her true arrival as an elite player. She posted multiple top-ten finishes, including a runner-up result at the Meijer LPGA Classic, and finished nineteenth on the LPGA Money List with $885,141 in earnings. At the 2021 Evian Championship, she shot a final-round 61, the lowest final-round score in major championship history, finishing tied for sixth. Later that year, she became the first Irish player selected for the Solheim Cup, where she set the all-time rookie points record with 4.5 points in Europe’s victory.
In February 2022, Maguire became the first Irish woman to win on the LPGA Tour at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Fort Myers, Florida, defeating Lexi Thompson by three strokes. She finished the season ranked eleventh in the world, with career earnings exceeding $1.8 million on the LPGA Tour, and recorded ten top-ten finishes worldwide.
Continued Success and LET Victory (2023–2024)
Maguire’s strong form continued into 2023, when she won her second LPGA Tour title at the Meijer LPGA Classic, becoming the first Irish woman to win multiple times on the tour. She broke into the top ten of the Women’s World Golf Rankings for the first time and passed the $4 million mark in career LPGA earnings. She was also named the Irish Women’s Professional Golfer of the Year.
In 2024, Maguire added a historic victory on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco Team Series event in Centurion Club, England, becoming the first Irish woman to win on the LET. She reached the final of the T-Mobile Match Play earlier in the year and was later conferred with an honorary doctorate in science by Ulster University in Belfast, recognising her contributions to sport and academics.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Maguire’s most celebrated achievements are her record-setting 61 in the final round of the 2021 Evian Championship, her 4.5-point rookie performance at the 2021 Solheim Cup, and her status as the first Irish woman to win on both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. She was also inducted into the WGCA Players Hall of Fame in December 2024, becoming the first Irish golfer to be honoured.
Leona Maguire Career Wins
Leona Maguire has won multiple professional tournaments across the LPGA Tour, the Ladies European Tour, and the Symetra Tour. Her breakthrough victory came in 2019 on the Symetra Tour, and she has since become one of the most successful Irish golfers in history, with two LPGA Tour titles and one LET title to her name.
LPGA Tour Highlights
Maguire’s first LPGA Tour victory came at the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship in Fort Myers, Florida, where she won by three strokes. She added her second LPGA title at the 2023 Meijer LPGA Classic. She has also recorded numerous top-ten finishes in major championships, including a tied-fourth at the 2022 AIG Women’s Open and a tied-sixth at the 2021 Evian Championship.
Other Wins and Performances
In 2019, Maguire won twice on the Symetra Tour at the Windsor Golf Classic and the Symetra Classic. In 2024, she claimed her first LET title at the Aramco Team Series in England, leading from start to finish. Across her professional career, she has recorded top finishes in events worldwide and has been recognised as one of the top putters on the LPGA Tour.
Leona Maguire Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Leona Maguire comes from a sporting family in County Cavan, Ireland. She is the twin sister of Lisa Maguire, who was also a professional golfer and represented Ireland in amateur events before retiring in 2019. The Maguire sisters remain one of the most celebrated sibling pairs in Irish golf history, having both competed at the highest levels of the amateur game before turning professional.
Personal Life
Maguire resides in Cavan, Ireland, and continues to represent her country in international competition. She is known for her dedication to education, having graduated from Duke University with a degree in psychology and a certificate in markets and management studies, while maintaining one of the highest grade-point averages in her athletic programme. She is also recognised for her charitable work and her role as a role model for young golfers in Ireland.
2025 Season Performance
Leona Maguire entered the 2025 LPGA Tour season as one of the most experienced Irish players on the circuit, holding full tour membership and ranked among the top players in Europe. With career earnings surpassing $4 million on the LPGA Tour, she continued to compete at the highest level, aiming to add to her two LPGA titles and one LET victory.
Her early-season form reflected her consistency, with strong finishes in several events and continued strong performances in the putting and accuracy statistical categories. As a two-time Solheim Cup representative, Maguire also remained a key figure for Team Europe, with selection for the 2025 Solheim Cup being a central target for her season.
With the Ladies European Tour now part of her competitive schedule following her 2024 breakthrough, Maguire’s 2025 campaign is built on a blend of LPGA consistency and selective LET appearances. Her experience, course management skills, and putting strength position her well to contend for additional titles before the season’s end.