It’s not been a typically solid Leona Maguire season, but despite that Ireland’s trailblazer has no regrets over changing swing coach and insists she is close to clicking ahead of this week’s KPMG Women’s Irish Open at The K Club.
Maguire parted ways with childhood coach Shane O’Grady this season to align with Sean Foley. Her bid to hit the ball higher and further has culminated in three top-10 finishes and eleven missed cuts – including three in a row. But she is confident her game will come together ahead of her favourite stretch of the season which includes a fourth Solheim Cup appearance in two weeks in The Netherlands.
“I feel like all the pieces are there, they just haven’t quite clicked on any one week,” said the world number 82. “There’s been weeks where I’ve drove the ball really well, there’s been weeks where I’ve hit it really well and there’s been weeks where I’ve putted well and they just all haven’t been quite there. It’s just been a little bit inconsistent.
“This is probably my favourite stretch of the year. We’re running into an Irish Open and a Solheim Cup, so I’m trying to enjoy these weeks as much as I can and keep it as relaxed and laid-back as I can. That’s generally where I’ve had my best golf.
“You’re never done. You’re always building, you’re always growing, there’s always stuff to be worked on. We’re definitely closer now than we were a couple of months ago.”
Maguire has shown flashes of what she can do albeit not always on a modern LPGA style set up where courses are longer and greens are firmer. Her T8 finish at a fiery Scottish Open convinced European captain Anna Nordqvist to give her a wildcard pick for the Solheim Cup. It could still be a season that ends in glory but the Cavan star is enjoying the challenge.
“It’s been a challenge, but it’s a challenge I’ve enjoyed and I’m enjoying working on the things I’m working on. There’s been a few good finishes in there to prove that we’re going in the right direction. I think probably the hardest thing is that the old go-to’s don’t work anymore.
“I feel like it’s one thing having it done, ready on the range and ready in practice, it’s another thing bringing it to tournament rounds, but I think there’s enough good in there that we’ve seen. I’m definitely glad I’ve gone down the route I have. The tournaments and the courses and everything have all been year on year and you have to really keep elevating your game or you get left behind.
“It’s tricky to make changes while you’re still trying to compete. It’d be nice to be able to take six months off and just work on everything, but we don’t have the luxury of that. You’re trying to work on things and improve and compete as well at the same time.”
In her quest to work a higher draw into her arsenal, the 31-year-old has had to ditch the trusty push fade as she tries to marry distance with accuracy.
“You can’t blend both. My old go-to of aiming left and pushing it down no longer works. You’ve got to stick to the process and the new routines and commit to them, even if it’s uncomfortable.
“I suppose that’s sport and that’s life. You have to push through that discomfort a little bit sometimes instead of just relaxing back into old habits and old comfort zones.
“I have a few new shots that I haven’t had before. The last couple of years I’ve very much played with a left-right shape, especially Scottish and British. I noticed in the wind not having to allow for big left-right winds was a nice change.
“Being able to draw it into left-right winds a bit more and get at left pins and stuff like that a bit more has been nice. In that regard, a bit. Ball flight has been quite a bit higher as well.
“It’s almost like most of the year we try to hit it farther and higher and we come back for these couple of weeks and it’s taken back down a notch. That’s life in professional golf. You’re adapting and you’re changing all the time.”
Maguire tees off on Thursday alongside Roscommon amateur Olivia Costello and Shannon Tan at 08:18.
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