Leona Maguire: Ireland’s Top Hope for Olympic Gold in Women’s Golf
In-form golfer Leona Maguire is Ireland’s best shot at a women’s gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. Her selection for the Paris Games was confirmed just 10 days after she made history as the first Irish woman to win on the Ladies European Tour.
“It’s a huge honour to be selected for my third Olympics,” said Maguire. “There are not a lot of people who can say that they have been to three Olympic Games.”
On June 5, Maguire secured $75,000 with an eagle on the 18th hole at the Aramco Team Series in Hemel Hempstead, England. She led the competition throughout, posting scores of 66, 72, and 73. This victory followed her runner-up finish at the T-Mobile Match Play final in Las Vegas, where she earned $187,584 after losing 4&3 to Nelly Korda.
“Anytime you get to represent your country is a huge honour, and to do it at an Olympic Games, there’s no bigger honour,” Maguire added. “As golfers, we don’t get to be part of a team very often, so it is special to be part of a team heading to Paris.”
Joining Maguire on the women’s team is Antrim’s Stephanie Meadow, marking their third Olympic appearance together. Rory McIlroy, who finished fourth in Tokyo 2020, and Shane Lowry will compete in the men’s competition for Ireland.
“Me and Steph have known each other a lifetime now, it seems, and it is our third Olympics together,” Maguire said. “It’s been quite the journey over almost 20 years. It is nice to see growth in each other’s games and lives, and nice to be able to share this together.”
The 2024 Olympic golf event will begin on August 7 at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, near Versailles, southwest of Paris. This venue has hosted major international competitions, including the Ryder Cup in 2018.
Neil Manchip, High Performance Director with Golf Ireland, stated, “With a couple of weeks to go, the excitement is building for the Paris games. Team Ireland golf is in great shape and very much looking forward to the challenges that await at Le Golf National.”
