The 4th annual Sioux Falls Great-LIFE Challenge Event kicked off on Thursday 30th August, at the Willow Run Golf Course in South Dakota. Leona Maguire carded an impressive 6-under-par to finish in a five-way tie for third.
144 golfers from 31 different countries competed on what was the 16th stop on the 2018 Symetra Tour. With five stops left, the top ten golfers on the money list will claim their 2019 LPGA Tour membership. Maguire is currently ranked 37th with $21,156 from eight tournaments and lies $24,022 outside the Top 10. With the form she has shown, she will be confident of pushing the other golfers close for those Top 10 spots.
After an impressive first round of 65, Maguire found herself co-leading the tournament alongside the eventual tournament winner, Linnea Strom of Sweden. The two rookies recorded a bogey-free, 5-under-par, to head into day two with a two-shot lead.
Playing in the same group as Ardina, @leona_maguire ?? converts the second of back-to-back birdies here on No. 17 to snag the outright lead at 4-under par #Road2LPGA #GreatLifeChallenge
Scores ➡️ https://t.co/rYlfefOVQH pic.twitter.com/E0shtf4kxB
— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) August 30, 2018
The pair were part a select group of ten from the morning session whom had found themselves under-par after day one. This was Maguire’s best score to date since turning professional and with windy conditions and tough hole placements, this was a hugely impressive feat.
Day two was more difficult for Maguire as she shot a round of 72. Bogey’s on the 6th, 12th and 17th moved her down the leader-board. However, as we have come to see with Maguire, her mental strength is second to none. On day three, she rallied and fired a superb three-under-par which included four birdies on the 1st, 7th, 10th and 14th. This round of 67 put her back into contention for top spot as she was two-shots adrift heading into the final round.
In her 8th career #SymetraTour start, @leona_maguire shoots the best score to par of her young professional career and is tied for the clubhouse lead in the first round #Road2LPGA #GreatLifeChallenge pic.twitter.com/Fb14CqFvdB
— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) August 30, 2018
On the final day, hoping to seal her first title on the road to the LPGA Tour, Maguire made one birdie and one bogey to finish 6-under-par and tied for third. Linnea Strom closed on 11-under-par, five shots ahead of Maguire after a round of 67 was enough to seal her first victory in her professional career.
The third-place finish guaranteed Maguire prize money of $9,723 which means she climbs up the table in the race for the LPGA Tour Membership card. The next tournament takes place from Friday in Kansas in the Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes.
Really enjoyable week at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge event on the @ROAD2LPGA!
First class tournament. Happy with a Top 5 finish. ??
— Leona Maguire (@leona_maguire) September 2, 2018
