Leona Maguire: 'I’ll look back in 20, 30 years and realise how special it was'

Maguire is one of four rookies in the Europe team that takes on USA Inverness Club in Toledo this weekend.

Thu, 02 Sep, 2021 - 20:17

Brian Keogh

Mel Reid admits she doesn’t know Leona Maguire well but she’s already given her a nickname and hailed her as one of four “fantastic” rookies as Europe counts down to its Solheim Cup defence at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday.

Reid has been handed the role of player-leader by skipper Catriona Matthew for her fourth Solheim Cup appearance and after acting as a vice-captain at Gleneagles in 2019, she’s excited Europe can count on a player of the quality of the Co Cavan star, who is the leading European on the Race to CME Globe standings on the LPGA Tour this year, ranked ahead of every American bar the Korda sisters Jessica and world No 1 Nelly.

“Honestly, the rookies, they’re fearless,” Reid said of Maguire, 2020 AIG Women’s Open winner Sophia Popov of Germany, Finland’s Matilda Castren, and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen. “They’re not like rookies when I first started playing Solheim Cups that were just playing on the LET.

“They are playing against the American girls week in and week out and they’re just not scared, and that’s exactly what you want in a rookie. I think before we had a few players who’ve never played against a Jess Korda, never played against a Danielle Kang, these girls all have.”

Maguire insists she’s ready to embrace the butterflies she will face on the first tee and while she was tightlipped about how many games she’ll be expected to play, she reckons Europe has such a strong team, even with four rookies, they can become just the second side to triumph on US soil and retain the trophy.

“I’ll do whatever Beanie wants me to do, whatever role she wants me to play, as will everybody on this team,” the 26-year-old Ballyconnell star said. “I think there’s not very many egos on this team, which is really important. Everyone just wants to do what’s best for the team and whatever it’s going to take to bring that Cup back the right side of the Atlantic.”

The USA will have a huge advantage with few European fans on site due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions but Maguire is ready to feed off that energy and win points for skipper Catriona “Beanie” Matthew.

“Everybody talks about the first tee, so there’s going to be some butterflies I’m sure,” said Maguire who revealed she’s already been nicknamed “Mags” by veteran Reid.

“I’ll try and embrace it as much as I can, the adrenaline and everything that goes with it. It’s just going to be a really cool experience,” Maguire said. “It’s going to be like nothing else I’ve ever played before. I love match play, so I’m just excited to get going.”

Ranked a career-best 45th in the world, the former world amateur No 1 has been dreaming of this week since she was 10 years old and she feels ready for the challenge.

“It’s a huge honour,” she said of her status as the first Irish player to play Solheim Cup. “I think it’s something I’ll probably not dwell on too much right now. I’ll look back probably in 20, 30 years when I’m done playing and realise how special it was.

“Hopefully it inspires more young girls in Ireland to take up the game, realise that if they believe in themselves and work hard that anything is possible. Hopefully we’ll have many, many more Irish girls on the team in the future.”

She’s a big fan of Donald Ross designs and expects a tough test on what is a ball-striker’s course. “I think it’s a great golf course,” she said. “It’s played a little different every day, depending on the wind, and it’s firming up, which is going to make things interesting. You’re just going to have to hit really good quality golf shots, which is exactly what you want.”

With few European fans on site, she also knows she will need to lean on her team-mates more than ever.

“We’re going to have to be each other’s No. 1 fans this week, especially with not as many crowds in our favour, and just embracing that and I think the girls with it.

“Really looking forward to it. I think it’s a great team.”