Leona Maguire secured a best-ever result on the LPGA Tour with a superb final round of 67 at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii.
Posting a final total of 21-under-par, it is the best finish ever achieved by an Irish player on the main tour.
Maguire eagled the 17th on her way to a tie for second alongside four other players, including Inbee Park and Nelly Korda.
The event was won by runaway leader Lydia Ko.
The two-time major champion secured a first win in three years with a 28-under-par finish.
Enjoyed every minute of my first trip to Hawaii @LPGALOTTE 🌺 My best finish so far on the @LPGA T2! Thank you everyone for the support, especially those who stayed up all night to watch!! 💚🇮🇪 #onwardsandupwards pic.twitter.com/IaMdZv5F4j
— Leona Maguire (@leona_maguire) April 18, 2021
However, the performance of Cavan's Maguire was one of the other headlines of the week.
She has been in good form - as has Stephanie Meadow - and secured a prize worth in the region of €125000 which will be of real benefit in the Order of Merit.
This performance will also enhance her Solheim Cup credentials, with the biennial event between Europe and the United States set to take place in the first week of September.
Starting the day at 16-under-par, Maguire produced three front-nine birdies at Kapolei to reach the turn at 19-under.
A birdie four at the 14th brought her to 20-under, before a bogey at the next threatened to leave a sour taste after an excellent week.
However, she struck a tremendous three-wood to a couple of feet on the par-five 17th - which she duly converted for eagle - to finish at 21-under.
💪@leona_maguire leaves herself a short eagle putt to take a share of second place
Watch the @LPGALOTTE now on @GolfChannel! pic.twitter.com/DdhcrN9O67— LPGA (@LPGA) April 18, 2021
Stephanie Meadow rounded off her week with a two-under-par 70.
The Antrim woman mixed four birdies with two bogies to eventually finish at eight-under for the tournament.
That was good enough for a tie for 57th position.
Winner Ko was the youngest player ever to occupy top spot in the world rankings in 2015 at the age of 17.
She was delighted to get back into the winners' circle after a three-year drought.
"When it doesn't happen you do doubt," Ko said. "If I said I didn't doubt myself at all it would be a lie. I wondered if I'd ever be back in the winners' circle, but obviously, I'm grateful for all that's happened in my career so far.
"It's been a fun week in Hawaii and to be back in this position is obviously super cool."
Subscribe to our Patreon *HERE  for exclusive Golf Weekly content!
