Leona Maguire has won her first LPGA Tournament after a stunning final round performance in the Drive One Championship at Fort Myers.
The victory means that Maguire is the first ever Irish LPGA Tour champion.
The Cavan woman was dominant in the college scene, rising to world number one amateur during her time in Duke, before qualifying for the LPGA Tour 18 months ago through the Epson (previously Symetra) Tour.
After six top 10s last year, including two second place finishes, Maguire marched into the final round as the joint leader at the Florida venue hoping to put the lessons she learned to good use.
And she more than held her nerve as she marched to an impressive three shot victory.
“It’s a bit surreal," Maguire said later. "It’s been a long time coming and you don’t know if it’s going to happen until it actually does.
“I tried to stay really patient today. I wanted to go out and win it myself, really earn it.
“I was pretty calm, tried to stay in the moment.
“It’s my mam’s birthday tomorrow so this is a pretty good present.
"Hopefully they get to celebrate this next week when I’m home.”
.Maguire, who was the undoubted star of Europe's Solheim Cup victory last year, showed nerves of steel during her final round in Florida.
She fired three birdies on the front nine, two after carding a bogey on the par 3 third.
And the 27-year-old had to fight off major winner Lexi Thompson who made a late charge.
But an errant tee shot on the 16th by Thompson ended her run and Maguire was flawless over the closing stretch.
Maguire hit birdies on 10, 11 and 13 to separate herself from the chasing pack and a birdie on the 16th all but tied up the win.
She held a five shot lead going up the 18th but a late Lexi Thompson birdie closed the gap to four but, with danger on the left off the tee, Maguire bombed a drive down the middle.
Maguire laid up and hit a wedge to chipping distance, and although she two-putted for a closing bogey, she still prevailed by three shots with an 18-under par total.
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