LPGA Tour's Leona Maguire deals with tick bite troubles during Women's PGA Championship
Context:
Leona Maguire, an Irish golfer, faced challenges from tick bites during the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, which she contracted at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin. Despite her discomfort and a swollen hand treated with doxycycline, she managed to compete and finish tied for 19th place alongside notable players like Nelly Korda. The Texas heat added to her difficulties, affecting her performance as she initially stayed close to the leader but eventually fell off pace in the final rounds. Maguire expressed gratitude towards KPMG for their support in women's golf and highlighted the challenging conditions of the tournament. Since joining the LPGA Tour in 2020, she has made significant progress, participating in 14 tournaments this season and earning around $315,000 so far.
Dive Deeper:
Leona Maguire suffered from tick bites at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin during the U.S. Women's Open, treating the resulting issues with doxycycline, yet continued to compete in the Women's PGA Championship despite a visibly swollen hand.
She described the blister caused by the tick bites as a 'pepperoni,' which made her skin fragile, akin to tissue paper, creating additional challenge during the tournament rounds.
The intense Texas heat further complicated her performance, as she initially stayed competitive, finishing the first round just four strokes behind leader Jeeno Thitikul but gradually dropped back in the standings.
Maguire concluded the tournament tied for 19th place with Nelly Korda, Miranda Wang, and Youmin Hwang, while Minjee Lee claimed victory, emphasizing the tough competition and challenging conditions they faced.
Her Instagram post expressed appreciation to KPMG for their role in promoting women's golf, acknowledging the difficulty of the PGA Frisco course and celebrating the resilience required to finish strong on Sunday.
Since 2020, Maguire has been actively competing on the LPGA Tour, making the cut in 10 of the 14 tournaments she entered this season, reflecting a steady presence and skillful play.
This season, she has earned approximately $315,000, indicating her success and consistency on the tour, despite the setbacks she faced during the Women's PGA Championship.