16. Leona Maguire & Mark McDonnell

Leona entered the professional game in 2018 off the back of a record-breaking collegiate career with Duke University. The proud Irishwoman has been a serial winner ever since she took up the sport in Co. Cavan but it was her decision to move to America, inspired by her life-long ambition to play on the LPGA Tour, that catapulted Leona into the big leagues.

As an amateur, she was nothing short of sensational. A three-time Curtis Cup player with GB&I, Leona is a two-time Olympian representing Ireland in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2017 she captured the Ladies British Amateur Championship title, becoming serial winner on the collegiate circuit. Maguire sat atop of the world amateur golf ranking for an incredible 135 weeks during her amateur career.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take this born winner long to claim her maiden ‘W’ on the professional scene with Leona getting over the line, not once, but twice in her first full season at the Symetra Tour’s 2019 Windsor Golf Classic and the Symetra Classic. That blistering form meant she comfortably qualified for LPGA Tour promotion for 2020.

Leona became the first Irish woman to represent the winning Team Europe in the 2021 Solheim Cup. Leona was a crucial player becoming the greatest Solheim Cup rookie when she went unbeaten.

In February 2022 Leona followed this feat up by winning her debut title on the LPGA at the Drive On Championship and in doing so became the first Irish Women to win on the LPGA in history. Not stopping there, Leona recorded her second LPGA victory in June 2023 winning the Meijer LPGA Classic shooting a final day 64 to win by two strokes.

In September 2023 Leona continued her memorable season as she proved to be a crucial part of Team Europe as they successfully retained the Solheim Cup in Spain with Leona delivering 3 points to the European side.

Mark has worked in the sports industry for over 20 years initially starting out working in the football world before moving across into the golf industry when he was 24 years old. 

Mark has since worked for two of the leading brands in golf, Srixon and TaylorMade adidas Golf. The latter in which he was employed as one of the youngest account managers in their history, winning account manager of the year in only his second year with the brand. 

Mark has a vast amount of experience in working with high profile clients, lifestyle management and works with many large corporate companies on a daily basis heading up both the Modest Golf and Modest Sport’s Marketing business. 

Mark also founded the Horan and Rose biannual charity event which to date has raised over £4 million for charities across the world and oversaw the ISPS World Invitational, the only event in the northern hemisphere to offer equal pay to both the male and female participants.

This is the 16th episode with guests Leona Maguire, LPGA Professional golfer and Mark McDonnell, Co-founder of Modest! Golf Management, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.