Leona Maguire hailed as Irish Independent Young Sportstar of the Year 

NEWS RELEASE FROM IRISH LGU

World number 1 female amateur golfer Leona Maguire, was last night awarded the honour of becoming Irish Independent Young Sports Star of the Year

Voting opened to the public on November 24 and Maguire received the highest number of votes when voting closed on December 8.

Leona is the first Irish female golfer to hold the number 1 spot in the world. Her stellar achievements have been recognised throughout the golfing world, as she picked up the Mark H McCormack Medal as World Number 1 earlier this year and in the same month she received the 2015 ANNIKA Award as the best golfer in American women's college golf.

Having moved to Duke University in the US with her twin sister Lisa in September 2014, she took the golfing world by storm. Leona enjoyed an outstanding US college golf season, which she came close to rounding off with a victory in a professional event on the Ladies European Tour when she finished one shot behind the winner, Beth Allen, at the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club.

Leona won three events last US college golf season, the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, the ACC Championship and the SCAA South Bend Regional. Adding to this, she was leading qualifier after the stroke-play stage at the British women's open amateur championship and represented Great Britain and Ireland (GB and I) in June at the Vagliano Trophy Match against the Continent of Europe at Malone Golf Club, Belfast. She also played for Ireland at the European team championships in Denmark.