Leona Maguire commits to Saudi-funded series

Headline act

Leona Maguire, the world number 19, gets back into competitive mode again for this week’s Meijer LPGA Classic in Wisconsin and will go in search of a breakthrough Major title at next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Baltusrol ... but, further down the line, the 29-year-old Cavan golfer has committed to the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF at the Centurion Club in London in July.

The Aramco Series is funded by the same Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund that created LIV and has spectacularly gone into partnership with the PGA Tour. Maguire is one of the headline acts, along with Nelly Korda, confirmed for the event in England.

Maguire debuted in the series when she played in one of the events in New York last year. “I’m looking forward to being part of the Aramco Team Series on European soil and competing alongside an exceptional field that’s lining up,” said Maguire of the event that takes place from July 14th-16th.

London is the third of five global tournaments in the series which has 36 teams of four (three professionals and an amateur) competing in tandem with a stroke play tournament.

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The Terror

As a little aside to the rather more serious work of prepping for the 123rd US Open at Los Angeles Country Club this week, players will take part in a fun fundraiser for charity by playing a short Par 3 hole that is located between the 17th green and the 18th tee.

The hole – known as “Little 17″ – was part of the original design on the North Course when it was called “The Terror” but caused such problems for players during the 1925 Californian Open it was dropped from the layout.

However, Gil Hanse, who was brought on board for the remodelling of the course ahead of its first US Open, thought it would be a good idea to recreate the hole and the charity fundraiser will hopefully provide a little distraction for players rather than giving them terror nightmares ahead of the actual championship.

Word of Mouth

“It’s a tournament that we’ve circled on our calendar since probably junior golf. But ever since I’ve been on the PGA Tour this is one that we want to do as well as we can in ... to kind of break that curse, I’m pretty speechless”

—  Nick Taylor on winning the RBC Canadian Open, the first home player since 1954 to lift the famous old trophy. Taylor moved from 69th to 44th in the updated world rankings on the back of his third career PGA Tour win

By the Numbers

1 – Austen Truslow, who led the final qualifying in Florida, will stand out for one reason when he makes his debut appearance in the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club this week. He chips one handed, holding his club with his right hand and with his left placed firmly behind his back. Truslow, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years and is ranked 3,686 in the world, first used one-handed chipping as a drill but found he was better that way and brought it on to the course.

On this day ... June 13th, 1993

Vijay Singh was a well-travelled golfer – having previously played on the Asian, African and European Tours – but was a relative new face on the PGA Tour when he secured his breakthrough win on that circuit in defeating Mark Wiebe in a playoff to lift the Buick Classic at Westchester in New York.

In what was just his 11th start on the US tour, the Fijian matched Wiebe in posting a closing round of 66 to finish on four-under-par 280 which forced the pair into a sudden death head-to-head.

Singh’s birdie at the third extra hole proved to be the defining act. The 30-year-old hit his approach to the left side of the green and then watched as it bounced to the back before catching a slope and trickling to four feet of the flag. He duly converted to claim a winner’s cheque for $180,000.

“Coming from Europe, I thought it would be very difficult to win in America. I think this came a little early,” claimed Singh of his first of what would be 34 career wins on the PGA Tour, which included three Majors.

Twitter Twaddle

Thank you Canada for an amazing atmosphere. Congrats @ntaylorgolf59, what an unbelievable 3 days of golf you’ve just played and what a moment for you and your country! We’ll start again tomorrow. See you at work – touch of class from Tommy Fleetwood, beaten in a playoff by Nick Taylor’s monster 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole of sudden death in the Canadian Open. Both are playing in the US Open in Los Angeles.

Sorry to leave y’all hanging, had to get the toddler ready for bed. I’m thrilled to report that @ahadwingolf is still among the land of the living and in true Canadian form, apologised to the security guard for being tackled – Jessica Hadwin confirming that hubby Adam was fit and well after being taken down rugby style by a security guard when going to celebrate with Nick Taylor.

Gutted for Tommy but what a way to win your national open! Mad scenes! Praying for Adam Hadwin, what a tackle – Tyrrell Hatton on the Hadwin take down.

Know the Rules

Q: A player drops a ball in the right way when taking relief but the ball hits the ground first and then accidentally hits the player’s foot before coming to rest in the relief area. Must the player drop the ball again?

A: No. Under Rule 14.3c, a player has completed taking relief when a ball dropped the right way comes to rest in the relief area. It does not matter whether the ball, after hitting the ground, accidentally touches any person before coming to rest.

In the Bag

Ashleigh Buhai, ShopRite LPGA Classic

Driver – Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (9 degrees)

3-wood – Srixon ZX (15 degrees)

5-wood – Srixon ZX (18 degrees)

7-wood – Ping G425 (20.5 degrees)

Hybrid – Srixon Z H85 (20.5 degrees)

Irons – Srixon ZX5 (6), Srixon ZX7 (7-PW)

Wedges – Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50, 54 and 60 degrees)

Putter – Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K Two

Ball – Srixon Z Star