The Silent Assassin has been recalled for another tour of duty, with Leona Maguire – who earned that nickname for her matchplay prowess – named as one of four wildcard picks by Europe’s captain Ana Nordqvist for the Solheim Cup match against the United States at Bernardus in the Netherlands on September 11th to 13th.
Maguire, who was MVP in Europe’s win at Inverness in Ohio on her debut in 2021, will be making a fourth Solheim Cup appearance.
In what has been an inconsistent season so far on the LPGA Tour, which has included three top-10s along with nine missed cuts, Maguire – a former team-mate of Nordqvist in the Solheim – was selected along with Spanish rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez, Nastasia Nadaud of France and English player Mimi Rhodes as captain’s picks to complete the 12-player team.
Eight players – Charley Hull (England), Esther Henseleit (Germany), Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Denmark), Lottie Woad (England), Maja Stark (Sweden), Celine Boutier (France), Carlota Ciganda (Spain) and Linn Grant (Sweden) – secured automatic qualification when that campaign ended following the AIG Women’s Open.
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For Maguire, the 31-year-old from Co Cavan, the Solheim Cup has become a part of her golfing DNA with star performances in 2021, when she won four-and-a-half from a possible five points, and again in 2023 where she again played a key role in Europe retaining the famed Waterford Glass trophy. In the 2024 match, she played only once over the opening two, losing an opening day’s fourballs with Georgia Hall, but emphatically winning her singles against Ally Ewing on the final day.
“I love team golf. I think growing up in Ireland, we played a lot of team golf and, I suppose, having a twin sister [Lisa], we’ve always had that mini-team. I love match play, I love team golf and we don’t get to do very much,” said Maguire, who has a week off before returning to the LPGA Tour for the Portland Classic and the Canadian Open and then returning home for the KPMG Irish Women’s Open at The K Club.
Maguire will then have a week off before heading to Amsterdam for her fourth Solheim Cup, an event which clashes directly with the Amgen Irish Open at Doonbeg.
“My goal was definitely to qualify for the team automatically and not have to rely on a captain’s pick. I feel like I’ve played some good golf lately,” said Maguire, pointing to her tied-eighth finish in the Scottish Open. “We’re doing some fine tuning. Hopefully the game will be nice and sharp and ready to go in a few weeks’ time.”
Of her decision to give Maguire one of her four wild cards, Nordqvist said: “After Inverness [in 2021], we’ve been calling her MVP. I’d rather play alongside her than against her. She’s just such a fierce competitor. She’ll do anything for you on the team.”
