Duke WGOLF: Maguire Earns Amateur of the Year Accolade

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University women’s golfer Leona Maguire added another honour to her resume Monday as the senior was named the 2017 Global Golf Post Female Amateur of the Year.

A native of Cavan, Ireland, Maguire is coming off yet another banner year in the links. She was the recipient of the Mark H. McCormack Medal for the third consecutive year as the top golfer in the women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking. Maguire won the 2017 Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship with a 3 and 2 match play victory over Ainhoa Olarra. Over the summer, she also competed in the British Open Amateur and placed eighth in stroke play qualifying. Maguire represented Great Britain & Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy, played in the U.S. Women’s Open and LPGA Marathon Classic.

In the 2017 British Open, Maguire fired rounds of 69, 71, 70 and 75 for a three-under-par, 285, to finish tied 49th.

Maguire turned in one of the best individual seasons in collegiate golf in 2016-17 as she earned her second ANNIKA and WGCA National Player of the Year honors. She collected the second-lowest stroke average in NCAA history with a 70.29 ledger. Maguire was selected the Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award recipient, WGCA First Team All-America, ACC Player of the Year, All-ACC and CoSIDA Academic All-America.

At the NCAA Championship this past May, Maguire finished runner-up individually for the second time in three years.

Maguire has opened the 2017-18 collegiate campaign in impressive fashion with a 69.18 stroke average to go along with two victories and four top nine finishes. She helped lead Duke to three team wins in four events.

Duke will be off until Feb. 11-13 when the Blue Devils compete in the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, California.