Team Ireland has officially selected Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow to compete at the Olympic Games this summer.
Maguire and Meadow are both competing in their second Olympic Games, having went to Rio in 2016.. Both women have just come off the Women’s PGA Championship, where Maguire posted her best-ever result in a major Championship, finishing fifteenth.
Meadow was a four-year letterwinner at Alabama (2010-14). She currently ranks fourth in career rounds of even or under par, accomplishing that feat on 73 occasions during her time at the Capstone.
?TEAM IRELAND GOLF TEAM NAMED
A World Class golf team has been announced today to represent #TeamIreland in #Tokyo2020 ⭐ #NothingInOurWay
Women
⛳ Leona Maguire
⛳ Stephanie Meadow
Men
⛳ Shane Lowry
⛳ Rory McIlroy
?https://t.co/sIYXnVe3Oa pic.twitter.com/u9xSFF8IoT
— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) July 2, 2021
Speaking on her selection, Maguire said:
''Rio was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world, and to represent Ireland on the stage like that is an incredible honour. I’m really looking forward to Tokyo. Golf is massive in Asia and particularly Japan. It will be my first time in Japan, and hopefully I can take the experiences that I had in Rio and build on it.
''In Rio I played well, but I think I was caught up in the experience of it, and was happy to be there. But I’m a little more dialled in for Tokyo, and I’m trying to finish as high up that leader board as I can.”
David Kearney, Women’s Golf Team Coach said,
“’Whilst the Olympics is very different to a normal LPGA Tour week, our players have done a great job preparing and planning as if it’s the same and we’re delighted to finally have the team formally selected. With Covid-19 considerations there are more potential performance disablers but we will be prepared to be agile and acceptant of not everything being as it normally is. This agility will help create the optimum performance space.
“All players have shown some great form this year and both Stephanie and Leona already have an Olympic Games under their belt at Rio. Personally, I’m very proud to have known them both since they were 9 and 11 years old respectively and am looking forward to supporting them in Tokyo, along with everyone else in Ireland.”
Ireland will be fielding a full contingent in Tokyo, having qualified two players in both the Men’s Individual Stroke Play, and the Women’s Individual Stroke Play.
The men’s event is the first on the golf schedule, and will feature Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
In the women’s event Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow are both competing and looking to continue their impressive form.
The golf venue is the Kasumigaseki Country Club on the outskirts of Tokyo city. The tournament runs over four days, from Thursday 29 July until Saturday 7 August 2021.
Congratulations Leona and Stephanie - we wish you the best of luck at the Olympic Games and can't wait to watch you play!
