Leona Maguire clinches maiden win with playoff birdie

Leona Maguire gets ready to break out the bubbly following her maiden professional win in California

Leona Maguire birdied the first playoff to defeat Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn and snatch her first professional victory in the inaugural Windsor Golf Classic in California.

After a marathon 10-week road trip that took her from Dubai to Australia and then back to Florida to begin her Symetra Tour campaign, the 24-year old Slieve Russell fired a bogey-free, seven-under par 65 to top the leaderboard

After a short wait, she was joined at the top by overnight leader Anannarukarn’s, who birdied the par-five 18th to force sudden-death at Windsor Golf Club, 60 miles north of San Francisco.

Anannarukarn birdie on No. 18 ties @leona_maguire at 12-under par overall and we have a sudden-death playoff #WindsorClassic #SonomaCounty #LifeOpensUp #Road2LPGA pic.twitter.com/yYsjYtcRv3

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) April 8, 2019

On their return to the par-five 18th, it was the former world amateur number one Leona who held firm in the playoff, clinching the title with a birdie four to Anannarukarn’s bogey-six,

As a result, she takes a giant step towards winning her LPGA Tour card via the Symetra Tour’s money list after just 21 regular starts since she turned professional and finished tied 15th in the Shoprite LPGA Classic in New Jersey just 10 months ago.

The top 10 at the of the season in the Volvik Race for the Card will avoid the Q-Series and earn instant promotion and Leona is now in pole position.

She began the final day of the weather-delayed event tied for fourth on five-under par and three strokes adrift of Anannarukarn, who led by one stroke from Spain’s Marta Sanchez Barrio on eight-under.

“Trying to have one really good last day tomorrow and looking forward to two weeks off,” Leona said prophetically after a second round 69.

“If the greens stay the way they are, I think you’re going to have to try and go low. The leaderboard is packed. You can hit your irons pretty close and need to take advantage of the par-5s. There’s definitely a low number out there, so let’s see if I can find it tomorrow."

from News - Irish Golf Desk http://bit.ly/2VtHvFR