Under the Florida sun, some of the best players on the LPGA Tour are preparing to chase one of the year’s richest titles. Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson, Charley Hull, Lilia Vu, and many others are part of the field at the $3.25 million event, The ANNIKA. Yet even among seasoned champions, one legendary figure still commands a quiet kind of awe. The host, Annika Sorenstam, is an LPGA legend, with 72x titles under her name. And she has made even a 2x LPGA winner, Leona Maguire, intimidated.

“Yeah. I remember the first time I met her was at Evian a long time ago. Played the junior event at Evian, and she was there. Then, early ’21, she played a few rounds with me at Nona when she was getting ready for the Gainbridge event and all that,” Maguire said when asked about ever playing with Annika Sorenstam or watching her. “I got to play with her a few times out there, so that was definitely quite a learning experience. I was a little intimidated the first couple of times. Yeah, I mean, she’s still, even now, still very impressive the way she plays.”

Leona Maguire was a sophomore at Duke University in 2015 when she played in the Evian Championship. She carded a final round of three-under par 68. With rounds of 72-73-73-68, she finished at T34. She was playing in the junior event. This was the year when Maguire’s senior Lydia Ko became the youngest LPGA golfer to win a major. Although Annika Sorenstam didn’t participate in the event, the 2x LPGA winner says that she was there to watch the game.

The early ’21 incident that Leona Maguire is referring to is the Gainbridge LPGA tournament at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Florida. It was the 2nd LPGA event held at the club. The first was the inaugural Solheim Cup, when Team USA beat Team Europe 11.5 to 4.5. Both Maguire and Sorenstam played in the event. The 2023 Meijer LPGA Classic winner would have learned a lot from her during those few rounds they played together.

It was the only event Sorenstam played in 2021. She finished 74th after rounds of 75-71–79-76. On the other hand, Maguire had an impressive event at the Gainbridge LPGA in 2021. She fired rounds of 69-72-69-72 to finish 6 under par 282 and end T16 on the leaderboard.

While both Leona Maguire and Annika Sorenstam played in the event, they never actually played together in the tournament. “Never got to actually play with her in a tournament,” the Irish golfer said about playing with Sorenstam.

Years after those early encounters, Maguire found herself playing the very event hosted by the LPGA legend. She is making her third appearance for the event at The ANNIKA 2025.

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Leona Maguire’s history at The ANNIKA

After crossing paths with Annika Sorenstam in 2015 and 2021, Leona Maguire played at The ANNIKA for the very first time in 2023. With rounds of 67-71-70-66, she finished T38 alongside Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Gina Kim, Matilda Castren, Dewi Weber, and Gabriela Ruffels. Her best round came on Sunday, when she scored a 4 under par 66, thanks to one bogey, three birdies, and an eagle. She was back at the event in 2024. But unfortunately, she didn’t make the cut this time. She carded rounds of 70 and 72 to finish 2 over par after the first two days. However, the cut was at par, and she didn’t make it.

Leona Maguire is back again this year. She is competing at The ANNIKA 2025 held at Pelican Golf Club, Florida. She shot a strong opening round of 3-under 67. Maguire scored two bogeys on holes 3 and 8. And she made five birdies on holes 4, 7, 11, 13, and 15.

Her history at the event shows mixed results. However, her strong start this year can help her achieve good results. She could win if she continues playing with the same rhythm. But with golfers like Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson, and Lilia Vu in the mix, it would be challenging for her.