Leona Maguire will look to rekindle her Solheim Cup form as the LPGA Tour makes a quick trip from Arkansas to Texas for one final tournament in the United States before a four-tournament stretch in Asia.
The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America has seen many of the greatest names in the game – Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford to name a few – hoist the Kathy Whitworth trophy, and Maguire will be looking to add her name to that list of great winners of the tournament and add another win to her resume. Maguire finished in a disappointing tie for 62nd place last week in Arkansas which many would put down to a Solheim Cup hangover but there is no doubt that she is poised to make another tilt on the individual circuit.
Charley Hull only had a week of rest after helping Team Europe secure its third straight Solheim Cup, but returning to The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America after her victory last year was a no-brainer for the Englishwoman. Hull won the 10th playing of the event by one stroke, finding one final birdie at the 17th to take home the Kathy Whitworth trophy and a crisp, new pair of cowboy boots.
The 27-year-old is having arguably her best season on Tour since her debut in 2015 and looks poised to defend her title. Hull has recorded five top 10s this season, four of which were runner-up finishes, and has earned nearly $2.3 million – her most ever in nine seasons on the LPGA Tour.
After five top-10 finishes and a couple of near misses, LPGA rookie Hae Ran Ryu finally made it to the winner’s circle last week at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, extending her lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race by over 200 points.
Ryu led wire-to-wire in Rogers to become the fourth Rolex First-Time Winner in the last five tournaments and the 11th of the season, tying a record that was set in 1995 and tied in 2022. But even with 11 first-time winners in 2023, Celine Boutier and Lilia Vu have each found three wins this season, proving that anyone can win at any time on the LPGA.
With the season winding down, there’s much more at stake than trophies. The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America is the penultimate full-field event on the schedule, and for many, it will be their second-to-last chance to punch their ticket to the CME Group Tour Championship or retain their LPGA Membership. Only the top 60 in the Race to CME Globe standings will compete in the CME Group Tour Championship. Leona Maguire is safe, sitting in 16th place in the standings but a strong finish will see the Cavan golfer solidify her place in the top 10.
Maguire gets her first round underway at 8.09am local time, 2.09pm Irish time in Texas.
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