Golf

Nelly Korda beats Leona Maguire to seal fourth straight victory

Cavan woman topped strokeplay section of T-Mobile Match Play tournament

Leona Maguire
Leona Maguire was defeated by Nelly Korda in the final of the T-Mobile Match Play

Nelly Korda won her fourth consecutive tournament as she overpowered Leona Maguire in the final of the T-Mobile Match Play.

The world number one won four of the first seven holes on the Leopard Creek course in Las Vegas en route to a 4&3 victory.

Maguire, who topped the strokeplay section of the tournament before the top eight fought out the title in matchplay, finally won the ninth before falling five down on the 12th.

Two birdies from Maguire cut the deficit before the American closed out the match on the 15th.

Korda has won all three of her tournaments since a seven-week break following the first victory of her run in Florida in January.

She is the first player to win four successive starts on the LPGA Tour since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.

Victory in the Chevron Championship, the first major of the season, in two weeks will tie the record of five straight wins held by Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam.