Meghan MacLaren (born 15 May 1994) is an English professional golfer and Ladies European Tour player.

Meghan MacLaren
Personal information
Born (1994-05-15) 15 May 1994 (age 30)
Wellingborough, England
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Sporting nationality England
ResidenceRushden, Northamptonshire, England
Career
CollegeFlorida International University
Turned professional2016
Current tour(s)Ladies European Tour
Former tour(s)Symetra Tour
LET Access Series
Professional wins7
Number of wins by tour
Ladies European Tour3
ALPG Tour3
Epson Tour1
Other3
Best results in LPGA major championships
Chevron ChampionshipDNP
Women's PGA C'shipDNP
U.S. Women's OpenCUT: 2017, 2020
Women's British Open63rd: 2018
Evian ChampionshipCUT: 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
Achievements and awards
Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year2013
Conference USA Golfer of the Year2015
LET Access Series Order of Merit2017
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
European Golf Team Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gleneagles Women's team
Silver medal – second place 2018 Gleneagles Mixed team

Early life and amateur career

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MacLaren starting playing golf at age 4 and attended The Ferrers Specialists Arts College between 2005 and 12, where she earned the Young Sportswoman of the Year award in 2009 and Upper School Sportsperson of the Year in 2010.[1]

She enrolled at Florida International University in 2012 and played with the FIU Panthers women's golf team. She won eight times before graduating with a degree in English in 2016. She was Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year in 2013 and Conference USA Golfer of the Year in 2015.[1]

MacLaren had a successful amateur career and won the 2013 Irish Women’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship and the 2014 Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, while representing country or continent in the 2016 Curtis Cup, 2016 Espirito Santo Trophy and Patsy Hankins Trophy.

She won the Santander Golf Tour LETAS La Peñaza, final LET Access Series tournament of 2016, while still an amateur.[2]

Professional career

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MacLaren turned professional in late 2016 and at Q-School earned a spot on the 2017 LET Access Series, where she won the Azores Ladies Open and had seven top-10 finishes. She topped the Order of Merit, earning a full card for the 2018 Ladies European Tour.[3] In her rookie season, she secured her maiden victory at the Women's NSW Open in Australia, and medalled twice at the 2018 European Golf Team Championships.

In 2019, she recorded a runner-up finish behind Challenge Tour player Daan Huizing in the Jordan Mixed Open, a third place in the Jabra Ladies Open, and successfully defended her Women's NSW Open title, to finish fifth on the Order of Merit.[4]

In 2021, MacLaren mainly played on the Epson Tour in the United States where she won the Prasco Charity Championship. She returned to LET Q-School for 2022 and finished in the top-20 to rejoin the LET. In 2022, she lost playoffs at the Open de France Dames and the Ladies Italian Open. She won her third LET title in Australia, the Australian Ladies Classic – Bonville, ending the season seventh in the Order of Merit.

Amateur wins

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  • 2012 Wolverine Invitational, FIU Pat Bradley Invitational
  • 2013 Irish Women's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Sun Belt Conference Championship
  • 2014 Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Mary Fossum Invitational
  • 2015 Amelia Island Collegiate, Mountain View Collegiate, Conference USA Championship

Professional wins (7)

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Ladies European Tour wins (3)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 4 Mar 2018 Women's NSW Open^ 71-67-65-71=274 −10 2 strokes   Silvia Banon
2 10 Mar 2019 Women's NSW Open^ 70-66-67-69=272 −12 3 strokes   Munchin Keh
  Lynn Carlsson
3 24 Apr 2022 Australian Ladies Classic – Bonville^ 67-70-69=206 −10 1 stroke   Maja Stark

^Co-sanctioned with the WPGA Tour of Australasia

Ladies European Tour playoff record (0–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2022 Ladies Italian Open   Alessandra Fanali (a)
  Morgane Métraux
Métraux won with eagle on first extra hole
2 2022 Open de France Dames   Ines Laklalech Lost to par on first extra hole

Symetra Tour wins (1)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 27 Jun 2021 Prasco Charity Championship 68-70-69=207 −9 2 strokes   Linnea Johansson
  Zhang Weiwei

LET Access Series (2)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 22 Oct 2016 Santander Golf Tour LETAS La Peñaza
(as an amateur)
69-68-66=213 −3 2 strokes   Sarah Schober
2 23 Apr 2017 Azores Ladies Open 70-70-74=214 −2 2 strokes   Eva Gilly
  Chloe Williams

Other wins (1)

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Team appearances

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Amateur

Professional

References

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  1. ^ a b "Women's Golf Roster: Meghan MacLaren". Florida International University Athletics. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  2. ^ "2016 Santander Golf Tour LETAS La Peñaza Final Result". LET Access Series. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Player Profile: Meghan MacLaren". LET Access. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Meghan MacLaren makes Thailand debut". Ladies European Tour. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  5. ^ Heath, Elliot (25 June 2020). "Meg MacLaren Wins Moor Park Justin Rose Ladies Series Event". Golf Monthly.
  6. ^ "European Girls' Team Championship – European Golf Association". Retrieved 8 February 2023.
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