<p>FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 05: Leona Maguire of Ireland lines up a putt on the 1st green during the final round of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club on February 05, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)</p>
LEONA Maguire insists it was her Solheim Cup performance and not her maiden LPGA Tour that catapulted her game to a new level as she counts down to next week's opening major of the season in this week's JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol in California.
The world number 18 is looking to build on the momentum she has gathered this season by following her breakthrough win in the LPGA Drive On Championship with tied 12th and tied 13th finishes in the HSBC Women's World Championship and Honda LPGA Thailand, respectively, with another big week at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad.
"It definitely gives you confidence knowing that you can compete, that you're good enough to win. I think for me, the biggest switch was after Solheim," said the Co Cavan star, who was unbeaten as a rookie in Europe's win over the US last September and next week will seek her first major in the Chevron Championship at Mission Hills Country Club.
"I don't feel like this win has added that much more. I felt like I earned a lot of the respect of my peers after Solheim.
"It's always nice people coming up, congratulating you, but just as much it's me congratulating Nanna this week after her win in Thailand as opposed to -- people forget of what happened a few weeks ago. Yeah, you're just trying to get another one, I guess and keep going."
"I definitely felt like I was very comfortable with my game in Florida. Was it the best I have ever played? I probably played some better golf last year at points," said Maguire, who recorded five top-five finishes in 2021, including two runner-up performances before winning in Fort Myers on February 5 to become the first Irish player to win on the LPGA Tour.
"Just it all clicked together, and it's one of those things you just never know when it's going to be your week. Just need to hole a few putts at the right time, and felt like I did that in Florida.
"It was a very sort of clinical performance. I mean, if anything, I felt like I played better in Thailand. It was weird. Tee-to-green I played better in Thailand; I just didn't putt as well as I did in Florida, and that's golf."
Maguire is top of the LPGA putting statistics this year with 27.8 putts per round and ranks 14th in strokes gained putting per round.
She also ranks fourth in putts per greens in regulation, but while the focus for many is on the opening major next week, she's fully focussed on getting her second win this week.
"This week is all about this week, trying to play as well as I can this week, and when Sunday night comes, we'll switch our attention to Chevron," said Maguire. "Right now, 100 pc of the focus has to be on this week and whatever it takes to putt well and score well around here."
She was unhappy with her putting performances in Asia and knows she must improve if she's to win this week.
"Yeah, I played here last year. Got my first look -- bags went missing yesterday, so got my first look today," she said last night. "Played 18 today. Got a little match and Stef Meadow and Madelene Sagstrom, so that was fun.
"It's a good golf course. You have to pick your shots, keep it on the fairways, hit into the right spots on the greens. The greens aren't incredibly fast, but they're sneaky fast above the pins.
"I think staying in the right spot is going to be key this week. Never been a big fan of poa greens, so that's going to be a challenge for me this week to sort of be patient and trusting my lines. So that's going to be the big thing this week."
She said she suffered from "pretty tough jet lag on her return from Asia to Ireland to see her coach but worked hard with Shane O'Grady on all aspects of her game.
She knows her future success depends on her never resting on her laurels, given the high level of competition on tour.
"There are a lot of great golfers on the LPGA," she said. "Felt like I played some really great golf in 2021 and got beaten by Lydia (Ko) in Hawaii, who just played some incredible golf and Nelly (Korda) at Meijer.
"You kind of wonder what have to do. I shot 61 at Evian; that wasn't good enough. You just never know when it's going to be your week, and you have to be incredibly patient.
"I suppose those weeks where it all sort of falls into place and everything goes right makes you -- you need to appreciate those moments when they happen. I think golf is a fickle game, and it's easy to get down on yourself, so you enjoy those moments when they happen."
Asked if she felt she was playing the best golf of her life, she said: "That's a good question. I don't know. I definitely felt like I was very comfortable with my game in Florida. Was it the best I have ever played? I probably played some better golf last year at points.
"Just it all clicked together, and it's one of those things you just never know when it's going to be your week. Just need to hole a few putts at the right time, and felt like I did that in Florida. It was a very sort of clinical performance.
"I mean, if anything, I felt like I played better in Thailand. It was weird. Tee-to-green I played better in Thailand; I just didn't putt as well as I did in Florida, and that's golf."
Her goal this year is "to try to be in contention as much as possible," she said.
"You get a taste, and you want to be back there, so just giving myself as many opportunities as possible. And that was the thing even with the win. If I hadn't won in Florida that week, I was proud to keep putting myself in contention, keep knocking on the door, keep giving myself chances, and the win doesn't change that.
"The mentality is still the same for the rest of the year. We've got this week and the major coming up next week, so try to be in contention in as many majors as possible.
"The big goal last year was to try and qualify for the majors, get back into US Open. Haven't been there for two years, so be nice to go back to North Carolina again.
Yeah, just trying to play as well as I can every week."
While some big names are taking this week off before the opening major of the year, Maguire feels she plays better in majors if she goes in with momentum.
"I've kind of figured out that multiple weeks off are not that good for me," she said. "I enjoy practicing, but I enjoy competing more, and it keeps my game sharp, so, yeah, I'm not planning on skipping any events this side of US Open.
"We'll see as the year progresses, but, no, I like to play my way into form. Yeah, no, plan on playing ahead of all the majors this year.
"Going to make a trip back to Duke and North Carolina ahead of the US Open so that the week of US Open I can take it a little bit easier.
"It's nice now I guess not being a rookie anymore coming back to golf courses where this week I know what the golf course looks like. You're not figuring out as much. You can get into it pretty quickly."
She hopes this week's warm-up in California can only help her in the Chevron Championship.
"This week is all about this week, trying to play as well as I can this week, and when Sunday night comes we'll switch our attention to Chevron," she said. "Right now 100 pc of the focus has to be on this week and whatever it takes to putt well and score well around here."
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