SOLHEIM CUP

September 24, 2023

Leona Maguire

Finca Cortesin

Team Europe

Quick Quotes

Q. You're the first European to grab a point on the board. How does it feel?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, it was just incredible today. The Irish fans this week have just been phenomenal. It felt like I was playing at home. It was just good energy.

Q. You're starting to look a little bit emotional. What does this win mean to you?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Suzann handed me a job this morning. I knew it was going to be tough. It was going to be a very tough opponent. It was important to get blue on the board early and it's great.

Q. You just schooled Rose Zhang. You made five birdies and an eagle, is that what we calculated?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, Rose is obviously a great player, I have a huge amount of respect for her and everything she's done, and I knew I would have to bring my A game today. The crowds were unbelievable today cheering me on, so I did it for them.

Q. What makes you so tough, what makes you so tough in match play?

LEONA MAGUIRE: I just don't give up. I think someone said Jessica Korda tweeted the other day that I was annoying at match play, and that was the goal this week was to be as annoying as possible. Me and Suzann kind of had a running joke this week, do what Suzann would do, and I feel like that's what she would have done today.

Q. Incredible stuff. First bit of blue on the board in Sunday singles. Just a wonderful game of golf today for us, how much did you enjoy it?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, when you're making birdies and eagles it's a lot of fun. So, yeah, it was important to get off to a good start today and put some blue on the board early. Knew Rose wasn't going to make it easy. So nice to be done early, nice to get some blue on the board for the girls coming behind.

Q. 1-down after the first and then it was all the Leona Maguire show.

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, we kind of went back and forth those first few holes. I knew it was going to be tough today. Putted really nice again today and I just rode the momentum from yesterday afternoon.

Q. You played every single match in the two Solheim Cups you've been part of. What is it about this format, this competition that you just thrive off?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, I love this team, I love playing in this event. I think you want to play as many times as you possibly can. Suzann made it very clear a couple of months ago that I would be playing five, and I think with the energy of this crowd and everything, I could have played 10. So, it was great.

Q. You are playing for Europe, but there's a lot of Irish here.

LEONA MAGUIRE: It's about like I've been at home and, yeah, for all of them that made the trip, incredibly grateful.