DURHAM, N.C. – For the seventh time in school history, a Duke women's golfer has won the GolfStat Cup, which is given to the golfer who has the best scoring average versus par with at least 20 full rounds played during a season, as Blue Devil freshman
Leona Maguire was presented with the award.
Maguire joins the likes of Jenny Chuasiriporn (1997-98), Liz Janangelo (2003-04), Amanda Blumenherst (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08) and Lindy Duncan (2001-12) as former Duke golfers presented with the prestigious award.
A product of Cavan, Ireland, Maguire collected a 70.78 stroke average on the season, which is the second-lowest score in the previous 19 years since the GolfStat award was given out. It was only behind LPGA great Lorena Ochoa of Arizona (70.13). Maguire and Ochoa are the only two golfers to post and average ledger before 71.00.
Maguire, the 2014-15 PING WGCA National Player and Rookie of the Year, collected eight top five and 10 top 10 placements out of 11 tournaments during her rookie campaign. The ACC Player and Rookie of the Year totaled three victories on the season at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, ACC Championship and the South Bend Regional. Her 70.78 stroke average was a school record, which beat out Blumenherst's mark of 71.00 from 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Maguire equaled Blumenherst's Blue Devil record of 24 rounds of even or under par as well from the 2005-06 season, while her nine top five finishes this season ranked tied third. Maguire netted a team-best 10 rounds in the 60s and counted all 32 rounds during the 2014-15 campaign. She registered a head-to-head mark of 894-54-13 on the year. Maguire currently ranks No. 1 nationally in both the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings and the Golfstat Cup.
In the Duke freshman record books, Maguire closed the season ranking tied second in top five finishes (9), tied second in top 10 finishes (10), tied third in top 20 finishes (10), tied first in victories (3), first in stroke average (70.68) and tied first in even or under par rounds (24).
She helped lead Duke to three team titles, including the NCAA South Bend Regional along with a second place finish in stroke play competition at the NCAA Championship. The Blue Devils went on to advance to the match play semifinals before falling to Baylor, 3-2.
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