You know you’ve done well when you’re a rookie on the team and your Captain chooses to put you in at every opportunity, making you the only player on your team to play every session.
Well, Leona Maguire can take huge confidence from the faith shown in her by Catriona Matthew and the only thing she needs to worry about now is fatigue after two gruelling days where she knocked the stuffing out of the Korda’s and left Nelly in the clubhouse on Sunday afternoon.
Paired with Mel Reid twice on Sunday, the dynamic duo were imperious in thumping Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing 5&4 in the morning session with Maguire commenting; “I think it was a pairing neither of us saw coming, but the Captains obviously saw something in us that we didn’t see in ourselves, and I think we’re both fearless on the golf course, which is something you need to be in those matches, especially given the pairings we were up against.
“I mean, Nelly and Jessica yesterday Nelly and Ally today, world-class players, and we really had to be on our “A” game to come out with a point. We played great all day and it was great to finish it off on style and not have to go down another one. Mel holed a lot of clutch putts today, so it was my turn to finish it off in style.”
Reid & Maguire then faced a relentless Lisette Salas and Jennifer Kupcho in the afternoon session with the Europeans taking an early lead on the first hole but they were pegged back on the 4th as Salas holed for a 3 before the Americans took the lead on the 6th with a par.
America were 2up after the 11th before Maguire & Reid clawed their way back into the match to be all square on 17. Then up stepped Kupcho to chip in off the back of the green to give the Americans a lead heading to the 18th only for Reid to put her approach to two feet to win the hole and half the match with Maguire commenting afterwards;
“I think we were prepared for what Lisette does week in, week out, and Jennifer too. It was a world class opposition we were up against We knew we were going to have to come up with some really good golf to come away with any points.
“We holed some putts at the right time to answer them back and that half feels like a win right now.”
It means that Maguire loses her 100% winning record but she won’t be bothered by that given the enormity of the half point which sees Europe take a 9-7 lead to the Monday Singles.
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