Leona Maguire taking valuable lessons learned into bid for glory at Women’s Open

Ireland’s Leona Maguire hopes she has learned a valuable lesson from her experience of leading a major championship as she bids to win the AIG Women’s Open.

Maguire held a one-shot lead after 36 and 54 holes of the KPMG Women’s Championship at Baltusrol in June, having won her second LPGA Tour title just days earlier.

A third 69 of the week in the final round would have been enough to make Maguire the first female Irish player to win a major, but the 28-year-old could only card a closing 74 to slip into a tie for 11th.

“I think at Baltusrol I put three really good rounds together,” Maguire said ahead of the year’s final major at Walton Heath.

“I think I had had seven rounds in the 60s (in succession) leading into that final day so I was playing really nice golf.

“I think the win the week before took a lot out of me. I was quite drained come Sunday and just didn’t have enough in the tank to get over the line.

“It was obviously a new learning experience, to be in that situation in the lead and the last group on Saturday and Sunday and sort of the emotions and everything that went along with that.

“I’d like to think that if I get myself in that position again, I’ll approach it a little differently and I’ll have learned from that experience.”

A masterclass in wood play from Irish superstar Leona Maguire.Watch and learn. pic.twitter.com/nbyCUAl57Z

— AIG Women’s Open (@AIGWomensOpen) August 8, 2023

Maguire can also draw on the experiences of her male counterparts, with the likes of three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, former Open champion Shane Lowry and 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley happy to offer advice.

“Padraig’s been quite generous with his time and his advice,” Maguire added.

“(I’ve) chatted to Shane and