GAINESVILLE, Va. – There was a name conspicuously missing from the session lineups on Saturday: Leona Maguire.
The Irishwoman and Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela were the only players to not compete on Day 2 of the Solheim Cup.
In an interview with Sky Sports, European captain Suzann Pettersen said at the start of the afternoon fourballs that Maguire was not sidelined because of health reasons.
“It’s always hard to sit great, great players, but … we have to play the ones that are really playing well this week,” Pettersen said.
The U.S. continued to own the back nine at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club – and as a result, this Solheim Cup.
“I mean, Leona, she’s going to be 100% tomorrow and she’s all about the team, so I mean, she’s a great teammate. [She] understands and she’s allowed to be disappointed. At the same time she has to believe in what the team is doing, and she’s going to be out here showing her face.”
Maguire was front and center the last time Europe played on U.S. soil as she went 4-0-1 in leading her side to victory. She played in all five matches last year, too, going 3-2-0 as Europe retained the cup.
Maguire, however, hasn’t played well this year. Despite a win on the Ladies European Tour to start April, she has only one top-10 finish this season on the LPGA, that being a second-place showing in the match-play event.
Returning to that format didn’t equal a return to form. Maguire sat out Friday foursomes and then teamed with Georgia Hall in a 6-and-4 loss in fourballs.
She will next play Sunday’s singles, where all 12 players on each team compete. Maguire is 2-0-0 in the individual session.