Leona Maguire secures a third top 10 finish on the LGPA Tour
about 4 years in The Irish Times
Leona Maguire is still searching for her first LGPA victory after finishing in a four-way tie for ninth at the Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, Calif.
It’s her third top-10 so far this season, after a runner-up finish at the Lotte Championship and a sixth place finish at the Drive On Championship.
The Cavan native led with a 65 after the opening round but failed to break 70 in her final three rounds. On Sunday she finished two under par, leaving her six under par overall and eight shots off the winner.
Matilda Castren fired a final-round 65 to overtake Min Lee to earn her first career LPGA victory, finishing at 14 under.
The 26-year-old Castren, a Finnish native who played collegiately at Florida State, tied for her lowest round on tour in her sixth career event. The Finland national team member became the first from her country to win an LPGA event with her 274 total for the four days (71-69-69-65).
“I knew one day it would be me,” said Castren, fighting back emotion after the triumph, “but you didn’t think it was going to be so soon.”
Castren blazed through the front nine, going 6 under - starting with three straight birdies, then an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole. She remained steady on the back, making eight straight pars and then clinching the victory with a birdie on 18.
Castren’s heroics were necessary to hold off Min Lee of Chinese Taipei, who carded a 69 Sunday after entering the day with a two-stroke lead on the field. Lee remained in contention, trailing Castren by a stroke until her bogey on the par-3 17th. Lee birdied the 18th, but it proved too late.
Lee failed on her effort to become the first to win an LPGA event immediately following a Symetra Tour win in her previous start.
“I mean, winning a tournament you have to practice,” Lee said after her round, “and this is a great practice. Maybe after couple times I will be there.”
Australia’s Hannah Green (66) and South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu (67) finished in a third-place tie at eight under. Second-round leader Danielle Kang (70), Jenny Coleman (70), South Korea’s Jenny Shin (70) were joined by France’s Celine Boutier, whose 64 Sunday was the low round of the day, in a tie for fifth.
Jodi Ewert Shadoff (65) of England, Angel Yin (69), New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (70) and Maguire (70) ended in a four-way tie for ninth at six under.
Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit, winner of the 2021 ANA Inspiration, the season’s first major, ended at four under for the tournament after shooting an even-par 72 Sunday.
Lexi Thompson skidded to a 74 in her final round, ending her weekend in a tie for 34th place at one under.
Collated final scores and totals (USA unless stated, Par 72)
274 Matilda Castren (Fin) 71 69 69 65
276 Min Lee (Tai) 70 69 68 69
280 Hannah Green (Aus) 72 71 71 66, Som-Yeon Ryu (Kor) 73 73 67 67
281 Danielle Kang 71 66 74 70, Celine Boutier (Fra) 72 75 70 64, Jenny Shin (Kor) 72 69 70 70, Jennifer Coleman 71 69 71 70
282 Angel Yin 72 69 72 69, Lydia Ko (Nzl) 72 70 70 70, Jodi Ewart (Eng) 74 70 73 65, Leona Maguire (Irl) 65 73 74 70
283 Lucy Lie 71 71 70 71, Yu Liu (Chn) 72 69 74 68, Jennifer Kupcho 69 72 70 72, Annie Park 72 70 72 69, Cydney Clanton 75 71 68 69, Jane Park 69 71 73 70, A-Lim Kim (Kor) 72 69 69 73, Yealimi Noh 72 69 71 71
284 Thidapa Suwannapura (Tha) 66 76 72 70, Ryann O’Toole 73 71 70 70, Paphangkorn Tavatanakit (Tha) 70 71 71 72, Lindsey Weaver 73 69 69 73, Lauren Kim 69 69 71 75
285 Xiyu Lin (Chn) 73 73 72 67, Esther Henseleit (Ger) 77 70 72 66, Alison Lee 68 72 74 71
286 Shanshan Feng (Chn) 73 70 72 71, Inbee Park (Kor) 69 75 70 72, Nicole Broch Larsen (Den) 72 71 74 69, Ashleigh Buhai (Rsa) 71 71 70 74, Sarah Schmelzel 74 69 73 70
287 Sei-Young Kim (Kor) 73 74 69 71, Alexis Thompson 71 72 70 74, Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Den) 74 69 72 72, Wichanee Meechai (Tha) 72 76 73 66, Jeong-Eun Lee (Kor) 71 73 73 70, Mina Harigae 73 71 69 74
288 Min-Jee Lee (Aus) 73 69 76 70, Charley Hull (Eng) 73 68 73 74, Wei Ling Hsu (Tai) 74 69 74 71, Michelle Wie 73 75 69 71, Hee-Young Park (Kor) 76 71 71 70, Giulia Molinaro (Ita) 76 72 73 67
289 Azahara Munoz (Spa) 75 73 71 70, Katherine Kirk (Aus) 75 72 73 69, Lindy Duncan 72 70 75 72, Kelly Tan (Mal) 75 73 73 68, Janie Jackson 76 71 73 69, Emma Talley 71 75 70 73
290 Brittany Lincicome 76 72 71 71, Georgia Hall (Eng) 77 70 70 73, Alena Sharp (Can) 75 69 74 72, Albane Valenzuela (Swi) 68 74 68 80, Hae-Ji Kang (Kor) 73 71 74 72
291 Hyo-Joo Kim (Kor) 71 74 72 74, Su-Hyun Oh (Aus) 71 70 74 76, Lauren Stephenson 70 71 76 74, Jennifer Song 74 73 74 70, Dana Finkelstein 72 72 74 73, Min-Seo Kwak (Kor) 71 71 71 78, Linnea Johansson (Swe) 73 72 74 72
292 Sarah Jane Smith (Aus) 73 73 72 74, Harukyo Nomura (Jpn) 78 68 73 73, Bianca Pagdanganan (Phi) 71 73 77 71
293 Gemma Dryburgh (Sco) 73 74 77 69
295 Da-Yeon Lee (Kor) 69 72 73 81, Ayako Uehara (Jpn) 75 73 69 78
296 Klara Spilkova (Cze) 71 76 75 74
297 Jing Yan (Chn) 71 72 78 76, Pornanong Phatlum (Tha) 72 73 79 73, Kristy McPherson 75 73 72 77, Ana Belac (Slo) 72 75 74 76
298 Kyung Kim 72 76 74 76, Kendall Dye 72 72 76 78
299 Mariajo Uribe (Col) 69 76 78 76