US Women’s Open: Leona Maguire looking to follow in Graeme McDowell’s footsteps at Pebble Beach

Leona Maguire is aiming to follow in Graeme McDowell’s footsteps and win her first Major at the US Open at Pebble Beach this week.

The Cavan woman has also been taking aboard advice from the 2010 US Open winner about navigating the small greens of the famed California course.

“I think course management is huge out here,” Maguire said. “G-Mac talked about hitting to certain sections on greens and things like that, a lot of strategy. He’s not the longest hitter, nor am I, so I think strategy is key when you come to a place like this.”

She said her caddie Dermot Byrne, a former caddie of Shane Lowry, also had experience on the course and his own “strategies and theories” on how to attack the course.

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“I think you really have to hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. When you miss the greens, there’s a lot of really thick rough around the greens and chipping is really difficult.”

Two weeks ago, Maguire led the Women’s PGA Championship after 54 holes before the 28-year-old shot a final round of 75 to fall outside the top 10. She won her second LPGA title at the Meijer LPGA Classic last month and comes into the tournament in great form. It is the first time the US Women’s Open has been hosted at Pebble Beach and Maguire is relishing the opportunity.

“I think it’s everybody’s dream to win a Major, and to do it at a US Open at Pebble would be incredibly special.

“Pebble is one of those bucket list places for a lot of people, so for us to be able to play seven days in a row out here, it’s something that I think none of us are going to forget for a long time.”

Maguire was also speaking to Aine Donegan, an amateur from Lahinch who made the tournament through qualifying, the only other Irish player in the field.

“I think she played a practice round with Annika [Sorenstam] this morning, so I think Annika probably had a lot more wisdom to pass on than I would yet, but it’s obviously a fantastic achievement for her to even be here to qualify, and hopefully she has a fantastic week.

“It’s obviously her first Major, so it’s a pretty special one to be able to say your first Major was a Pebble Beach.”

A dream week for Donegan has seen her play practice rounds with Michelle Wie West, Lexi Thompson and Sorenstam. Donegan, however, had a setback when her golf clubs were lost in transit by United Airlines. After missing for a few days, her driver arrived in San Francisco broken.

“It’s very iconic, I’ve been there before, I’d never played it but it’s kind of like links golf in a way,” Donegan told RTÉ. “Even just the fact that Lahinch is my home course and my preferred course of golf would be links. I like the wind, I seem to play better on links when it’s windy.”

Wie West is making her final appearance this week after announcing her retirement from professional golf. The youngest player to qualify for an LPGA Tour event, Wie West turned professional at 15 accompanied by an enormous amount of publicity. She has been offering advice to prodigy Rose Zhang, who has received similar attention after a hot start to her LPGA Tour career.

“She’s got it. She’s incredibly poised and has that inner confidence, that inner silent confidence in her that is just so incredible, and she is a real competitor,” Wie West said.

“I feel like I was kind of thrown into it all at once, but I was also fortunate that social media was not a thing when I was 14 and there was no world of TikTok. I can’t imagine the TikToks that would have come out the week of Sony Open.

“I’ve made a lot of bold choices in my career, and I’m proud of it. I’m proud of being fearless at times and just doing what felt right.

“I hope that I inspire a lot of other girls to make bold and fearless decisions and choices in their careers, as well.”

US Open lowdown

Purse: $10 million

Where: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, California

The course: Pebble Beach, one of the most famous golf courses in the world, hosts the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour every year, and was the scene of some of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson’s most memorable Major victories. It is, however, the first time the course will play host to the best professionals in women’s golf in the US Women’s Open.

The course will play just over 6,500 yards for the women. Some fairways will be wider and the rough will not be as long but it will still prove a test with the small greens requiring accuracy off the tee. Watch out for the dramatic holes seven to 10 around the turn where the Pacific Ocean is prominent, the well-known downhill par-three seventh hole playing less than 100 yards.

When asked what the requirement is to play well at Pebble Beach, Nelly Korda said “being lucky”. “I think that all kind of needs to come together, but probably the smallest greens I’ve ever seen. It’s an amazing golf course.”

The field: A changing of the guard of sorts among hyped-up young prodigies will happen this week as it is Michelle Wie West’s final Major before retiring from the professional game, while it is Rose Zhang’s first US Open as a professional. Zhang is the hottest ticket on the LPGA Tour after the 20-year-old followed up one of the greatest amateur careers with a win in her first Tour event last month. She contended the Women’s PGA two weeks ago and shot a women’s course record 63 at Pebble Beach last year in an amateur event. Jin Young Ko recently broke the record for longest spell as world number one and should be a factor, hoping to break her Major drought since 2019.

Irish in the field: A lot of eyes will be on Leona Maguire, in Ireland and elsewhere, as she looks to bounce back from her disappointment at the Women’s PGA Championship. Leading the tournament after 54 holes, the Cavan woman shot a final round of 75 to fall outside the top 10. Maguire won her second LPGA title at the Meijer LPGA Classic last month. The 28-year-old is playing with Jennifer Kupcho and Atthaya Thitikul for the first two days.

Also in the field is Lahinch’s Aine Donegan, who made her first Major through US Open qualifying. Donegan is living the life in California already having played with great Annika Sorenstam in a practice round. The Clare woman is an amateur and a student of Louisiana State University. Missing from the field this week is Stephanie Meadow, who failed to qualify.

Quote-Unquote: “I feel like that round in particular was a little bit of a blur just because I was so autopilot.” – Rose Zhang talking about the automatic brilliance of her course-record 63 at Pebble Beach last year.

Betting: Zhang, only two events into her pro career, is remarkably favourite in the bookies at 10-1, ahead of Jin Young Ko at 12-1. Maguire’s playing partner Thitikul is third favourite, with Maguire fourth at 18-1. Some good value offered with recent Women’s PGA winner Ruoning Yin at 28-1, Lydia Ko and Ariya Jutanugarn at 40-1.

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event from 10pm on Thursday and Friday, 10.15pm on Saturday and from 8pm on Sunday.

John Deere Classic lowdown

Purse: $7.4 million

Where: TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois

The course: TPC Deere Run has a reputation for being one of the easier courses on the PGA Tour. Ten of the last 13 tournaments have been won with a score of 20 under or better, Michael Kim the best score winning it in 27 under in 2018. So expect a shoot-out. Steve Stricker owned the event, winning three years in a row from 2009 to 2011, while Jordan Spieth has won there twice, as a good wedge and short game tends to shine. Previously the week before the British Open, the event has been moved a week earlier as not to clash with now PGA Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned Scottish Open next week.

The field: Never the most stellar event on the PGA Tour, the John Deere Classic’s strength of field has further been damaged by the schedule focused on designated events, with most top players taking a week off, or whisper it, playing in LIV Golf’s event in London this weekend. Cameron Young is the highest ranked player in the field in the world golf rankings at 19th, while recent tournament winners Emiliano Grillo and Nick Taylor also feature. The John Deere Classic has been a launching pad of some young players with Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau getting their first wins here, so watch out for Ludvig Aberg from Sweden, a hotshot from college who recently turned pro with aspirations to make the European Ryder Cup team in September.

Irish in the field: Séamus Power is the sole Irish player in the field. Power’s form has been concerning of late with three missed cuts in his last four events. Slipping to 50th in the world rankings, where a top 50 ranking is important for a place in all the biggest events, this week presents a good opportunity to improve his recent record.

Quote-Unquote: “I love playing all these events that I’ve seen on TV so many years. It’s a little bit surreal. I almost have to pinch myself when I wake up in the morning, but I’m so fortunate to be here and looking forward to a fun week.” – Ludvig Aberg on playing week-to-week on the PGA Tour.

Betting: Denny McCarthy and Russell Henley are the joint-favourites at 14-1. Cameron Young is 16-1, you can get Ludvig Aberg for 22-1, while Séamus Power is 33-1.

On TV: Sky Sports Golf from 9pm on Thursday and Friday and 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.