The 2017 AGC Women's Player of the Year: Leona Maguire

December 26, 2017 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Leona Maguire topped the AGC Player-of-the-Year points standings for the second time<br>(Ricoh Women's British Open photo)

The 23-year-old Duke senior from Ireland won the Ladies British Amateur and five college tournaments in 2017

For the second time in three years, Leona Maguire of Ireland is the AmateurGolf.com Women's Player of the Year.

The AmateurGolf.com Women's Player of the Year is awarded based on a point system earned through performance in major women's amateur events throughout the course of the year. The year, the 23-year-old Maguire won a close race over Hye-Jin Choi of Korea.

Final Women's POY Points Standings, 2017

1	Leona Maguire	Ireland	8500
2	Hye-Jin Choi	Korea	8200
3	Jennifer Kupcho	Denver, CO	6800
4	Sophia Schubert	Oak Ridge, TN	6700
5	Andrea Lee	Hermosa Beach, CA	5700
6	Lauren Stephenson	Lexington, SC	5600
7	Maddie Szeryk	Canada	5450
7	Lilia Vu	Fountain Valley, CA	5450
9	Kristen Gillman	Austin, TX	5350
10	Albane Valenzuela	Switzerland	5250

Maguire picked up her first win of the year in February at the Northrup Grumman Challenge in Southern California, sharing individual honors against one of college golf's strongest fields.

In March, she scored a four-shot win at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic in Baton Rouge, LA, leading Duke to the team title by 18 shots.

In April, Maguire led the Blue Devils to their 20th Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship in program history, and winning the individual title by two shots over Jennifer Kupcho of Wake Forest.

After finishing runner-up in the NCAA Championships in Illinois, Maguire was named the winner of the ANNIKA Award as the top player in NCAA Division I Women's Golf.

The highlight of 2017 for Maguire was winning the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship in Wales, edging Spain's Ainhoa Olarra in the final match for the biggest amateur win of her career.

After competing in both the U.S. Women's Open and the Women's British Open, Maguire won the Mark H. McCormack Medal for the third consecutive year as the leading women’s player in the 2017 World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

In September, Maguire won the Jim West Challenge in The Woodlands, TX by three shots over Maddie Szeryk of Texas A&M, setting the tournament scoring record and leading Duke to a team title, a tournament scoring record, and the lowest 54-hole score in team history.

In October, Maguire and Duke won the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invite on their rival's home course, with Maguire again edging out Olarra (who plays at the University of South Carolina) to win by a single shot.

AmateurGolf.com
Players of the Year

2017	Leona Maguire
2016	Bronte Law
2015	Leona Maguire
2014	Brooke Henderson
2013	Lydia Ko
2012	Lydia Ko
2011	Danielle Kang
2010	Danielle Kang
2009	Lexi Thompson
2008	Amanda Blumenhurst
2007	Stacy Lewis
2006	Stacy Lewis

Maguire advanced through the second stage of LPGA Tour Qualifying School, earning playing privileges on the Symetra Tour, but dropped out of the final stage because successfully qualifying would have meant having to turn pro on the spot, and Maguire wanted to finish the season with her Duke teammates and graduate in the spring.

“My team always comes first,” said Maguire to Golfweek at the time. “I’ve always wanted to get my Duke degree, and I have a plan of what I’m going to do. Come here this week, get Symetra status and then be ready to go in May after graduation. It makes this week a little bit easier.” In December, in what is surely a formality on the way to her being named to the full team, Maguire was among those named to the Great Britain & Ireland practice team for the 2018 Curtis Cup Matches to be held shortly after she graduates from Duke.

Finishing as the runner-up to Maguire was Hye-Jin Choi of Korea, who so nearly became the first amateur to win the U.S. Women's Open in 50 years. Canadian Women's Amateur champion Jennifer Kupcho (Denver, CO) was third, U.S. Women's Amateur champ Sophia Schubert (Oak Ridge, TN) was fourth, and Andrea Lee (Hermosa Beach, CA) rounded out the top five.

Maguire also won the Player-of-the-Year title in 2015, a year in which she recorded four college wins, was runner-up in the NCAA Championship, and finished second in the Ladies European Masters, a professional event on the Ladies European Tour.

Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women's Rankings | Complete 2017 Points List (941 players)

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