Leona Maguire takes Aramco Team Series title as Irish star makes emotional statement after first LET title

LEONA Maguire made an emotional gesture after securing her first ever Ladies European Tour victory yesterday.

The Irish ace became the first woman from the Emerald Isle to achieve this feat.

She shot a par of 73 to take her fifth professional victory by one stroke at Hemel Hempstead.

And with that she planted a sensational hybrid on the green and scored an eagle on the 18th hole, which is described by many as the shot of the year.

After her victory, she told Sky Sports she dedicated the win to her family and the people of Ireland in an emotional statement.

‘That putt was for me, my family and Ireland’

The Cavan native added that she didn’t feel she was playing her best golf and praised her caddie for persuading her to hit the stunning eagle on hole eight to take the title.

She added: “I felt like it was tough and I wasn’t playing my best golf game,”

“But to be honest, my caddie Dermot (Byrne) kept saying, ‘be patient, be patient.’

“And right before I hit the ball, he said, ‘Let’s hit the shot of the year here.’ And sure enough, it was a perfect song and my trusty hybrids came in handy again.”

The former world amateur number one has two victories on the Epson Tour and two on the LPGA Tour.

But yesterday’s victory was her first in Europe.

She heads into next week’s 2024 Amundi Evian Championship with confidence.

The best female golfers come to the beautiful Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains.

And they will all be fighting for victory at the fourth major tournament of the year.

The Evian Championship is jointly organised by the LET and LPGA tours and is the only Major on the European mainland for professional women’s and men’s golf.