CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 20, 2022

Leona Maguire

Tiburon Golf Club

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Here with Leona Maguire. I know not the result you wanted, but you put up a valiant effort this week, especially after the 63. Just evaluate your round today and your week.

LEONA MAGUIRE: It was an incredible week. A really great way to finish off the season. If you had offered me second at the start of the week, I would have grabbed it with both hands.

It would have been nice to play a little bit better today, but it was really tough out there today. The wind was strong. It was cold. Pins were tricky.

Didn't play the way I played yesterday, but grafted really well. Had some really key up-and-downs to keep me in it and keep a little pressure on Lydia, but she played really solid all day today and she's a deserving winner.

THE MODERATOR: After you kind of got off it at 14, you kind of fought your way back and at least made it interesting. What did it take for you to mentally reset after that dropped shot?

LEONA MAGUIRE: There's obviously a lot of money on the line. Every shot is really important. I looked up on 17, and I saw that Anna had got to 14, so that was an extra incentive to try to birdie 17 and finish strong.

But yeah, it's the last round of the season. You just want to finish it off as strongly as you can. That bogey on 14 was as good as some of the birdies I made all week. So proud of how I stayed in it and stayed patient.

Q. I just wanted to ask about that on 14. You hit that shot in the water. How do you keep your cool and know that you can go out and finish that hole and come out on it?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I suppose the more times you're in those situations you're more patient every time, but there was a lot on the line coming down the stretch and just wanted to make sure I had a clear head. And I knew I was playing well, so just tried to take my chances then coming in.

Q. At this exact moment as we talk, are you more happy that you played so well this week and finished second or more upset that you didn't win today?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, it's mixed emotions. Obviously I would have loved to have won, but four years ago pretty much this week I missed Q school by a shot. I drove by that exit on Sunday driving down here, and to be here today in this position, it's a big jump forward.

It's been an incredible year. It's been my best season so far, and I've got better every year. Looking forward to the offseason now and hopefully can have an even better 2023.

Q. You seemed really resilient out there when you did get in trouble. Were there nerves today, or were you pretty much over those quickly and into battalions mode?

LEONA MAGUIRE: I don't think there was really any nerves. It was just tough today. You just had to hit really good quality golf shots, and I didn't execute as well as I would have liked. That's golf.

Still hung in, got up and down a lot of times. That round could have got away from me quite easily and really battled out there to shoot level par.

Q. Last thing, what did you see from Lydia today?

LEONA MAGUIRE: I mean, Lydia is a class act. She always is. She was really steady, really solid. She obviously putts phenomenally well, so any time she got a chance, she took it, and that's what you have to do.

Q. How tough was it to stay engaged with your own game today?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, obviously Lydia and the group I knew what she was doing, so I just ride to focus on my game, take it shot by shot.

It being tough it made it a little bit easier because you had to sort of focus on your own thing. There wasn't time to get distracted. But, yeah, I mean, it's a different position than I've been in before, and I'll definitely have learned a bit from it.

Q. You come out of the season pretty proud of your year. What do you plan to do with your time off?

LEONA MAGUIRE: I'm off to Spain next week for the LET Tour Championship and then home for Christmas, home to Ireland for Christmas for about four weeks, which will be nice. Then back to Orlando to get ready for Tournament Champions in January.

THE MODERATOR: Finally, just assess your 2022. You got that first one at the beginning of the year. It kind of got dodgey in the middle, and then to finish this strong, just assess this year?

LEONA MAGUIRE: I'm really proud of how I did in the big events this year. The majors, U.S. Open, British Open in particular, and then finish off this was almost like a mini major to finish off the season.

So I wasn't maybe quite as consistent as last year, but some really big finishes in some big events, so really proud of the year overall.