Different Strokes: Leona Maguire in buoyant form ahead of third Major of the season

‘I gave it my all’

Leona Maguire moves into this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – the third Major of the season – in buoyant form following her near-miss in the Meijer Classic. For a second straight year, the Co Cavan golfer came up short: in 2021 it was losing out to Nelly Korda by two strokes; this time, it was even closer where it took a playoff for Jennifer Kupcho to get the better of Maguire.

“Not to be in the playoff but gave it my all after being seven back starting the day,” said Maguire in a social media posting, adding that the tournament “is one of my favourite stops of the year”.

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Indeed, US Solheim Cup player Kupcho acknowledged that her win was all the more special because “this leaderboard was stacked. That’s what I’m most proud of, is the player that were up there with me.” Defending champion Korda had exited the three-way playoff at the first hole of sudden death.

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Maguire earned a payday of €187,103 ($196,847) for her tied-second place finish which brought her season’s earnings on the LPGA Tour to €748,728 ($787,721) and moves to a career high 17th in the latest Rolex rankings. More importantly she brings good form onwards to the KPMG WPGA Championship which takes place at Congressional Country Club in Washington this week, the same course as Rory McIlroy won his 2011 US Open title.

Gorilla off his back

The question would often be asked, “Who is the best caddie to have never won a Major?”

Invariably, the answer would be Billy Foster.

A new bagman needs to be found now. After 40 years of carrying a bag on tour – with Seve Ballesteros, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Lee Westwood among his employers in that time – Foster got to walk his way to collect the 18th hole flag and, as is his way, gave it a kiss to seal the deal.

“I had a gorilla jump off me back. Not a monkey, but a gorilla,” said Foster of finally getting to bring a player home to victory in a Major. Like players using Majors to define careers, the same applies in the caddie shack.

Nobody knew more than Fitzpatrick – who first got Foster on his bag in 2018 after his split with Westwood – how much it meant: “The world,” is how Fitzpatrick put it, “I know it’s something he’s wanted for a long, long time.”

Word of Mouth

“When they show the highlights of future US Opens that’s one that’s going to be shown because that was just incredible”

—  Will Zalatoris on the approach shot which Matt Fitzpatrick played from the fairway bunker to the 18th green

By the Numbers: 17/18

Matt Fitzpatrick hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation in his final round of the US Open, becoming just the third player in the past 30 years to do so en route to winning a Major. He joined Nick Faldo (1996 Masters) and Brooks Koepka (2017 US Open) in achieving that feat.

On this day: June 21st, 1998

Lee Janzen’s successful pursuit of Payne Stewart in the US Open on the Lake Course of the Olympic Club in Los Angeles provided a touch of déjà vu in that it mirrored how he had chased and caught and overtaken Stewart five years previously.

Janzen overcame a ropey start – bogeying two of his first three holes to fall seven strokes behind Stewart at that point – to transform his fortunes with a run of four birdies and no bogeys over the remaining stretch of holes to card a 68 for a total of level par 280, beating Stewart, who closed with a 74, by one stroke.

That 68 was one of only three-sub par rounds in the final round but Janzen was the first to admit to a lucky break in his win. On the fifth hole he hit a 4-wood off the tee that was pushed right into trees and, as he walked down, a marshall informed him it was stuck up in the branches.

“I started walking back to the tee thinking my ball was stuck in the tree. I thought, ‘This just isn’t right . . . . I’m going to be lucky to make a double (bogey)’,” recalled Janzen. However, as he turned the ball dropped down into the rough and he managed to save par by ultimately chipping in from off the green.

In the Bag

Matt Fitzpatrick - US Open

Driver – Titleist TSi3 (9 degrees)

3-wood – Ping G425 Max (14.5 degrees)

7-wood – Ping G425 Max (14.5 degrees)

Irons – Ping i210 (4), Ping S55 (5-PW)

Wedges – Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (52, 56 and 60 degrees)

Putter – Bettinardi DASS BB 1 Flow Tour Dept

Twitter Twaddle

I’m not crying you’re crying!!!! Incredible! So happy for fitzy, billy and his family & team!! – Tyrrell Hatton

So happy for Fitzy and his family…..And Billy Foster. What a legend of the game. He deserved this one. Enjoy the celebrations lads – Shane Lowry

So happy for @MattFitz94. A win for talent with hard work and perseverance. Such a humble guy which often led to people underestimating his ability especially under pressure. And a big shoutout for billy, so happy for him. @DPWorldTour @PGATour @usopengolf – Pádraig Harrington

Know the Rules

Q In preparing to play a difficult shot from a greenside bunker, Player A accidentally touches the sand with her club in taking a practice swing. Is she in breach of the rules for this unintentional action?

A Although the rule changes in 2019 altered some interpretations relating to occurrences in bunkers, touching the sand with a club in taking a practice swing continues to be prohibited (Rule 12.2(b)) and subject to penalty. The main reasons for prohibiting touching sand in taking a practice swing is to do with pace of play and also to avoid having large amounts of sand deposited outside bunkers as a result of repeated practice swings.