Ireland's Leona Maguire Accepts Special Exemption to KPMG Women's PGA Championship

(CHASKA, Minn.) – Leona Maguire of Ireland has accepted a special exemption to compete in the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, June 18 – 23, at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

Maguire turned professional in June of 2018 after playing collegiately at Duke University, where she was a four-time First-Team All-American and two-time ANNIKA National Player of the Year as selected by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA).

The 2017 Ladies’ British Open Amateur Champion, Maguire competed in the 2016 Olympics, representing her home country, and finished in a tie for 21st place. She is a three-time Curtis Cup participant (representing Great Britain & Ireland) who has twice earned her LPGA card through Q School, only to return to college both times.

"The opportunity to play in the 2019 KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine is a true honor and I could not be more excited,” said Maguire, who spent more weeks (135) as the world's top-ranked amateur than any player in the history of women's golf. “It’s going to be special week competing in this major championship against an elite field on a golf course with so much history."

A member of the Symetra Tour, Maguire claimed her first professional victory earlier this month in the Windsor Golf Classic. She has posted three top-5 finishes in four appearances this year and is No. 1 on the Symetra Tour Money List

Maguire is currently ranked No. 232 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She has risen over 150 spots since entering 2019 in the 383rd position.

She’ll join a field of 156 that includes defending champion Sung Hyun Park, World No. 1 Jin Young Ko and Americans Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr and Stacy Lewis.

The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship — a collaboration between the PGA of America, KPMG and the LPGA Tour — continues the rich tradition of the LPGA Championship. Broadcast in partnership with NBC and Golf Channel, the Championship offers a purse among the highest in women’s golf. The event combines an annual major golf championship with the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit and an ongoing charitable initiative (KPMG Future Leaders Program) – all focused on the development, advancement and empowerment of women on and off the golf course.

Golf Channel will televise the first two rounds of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Thursday, June 20 and Friday, June 21, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET. NBC coverage of the final two rounds, Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23, will air from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. ET.