LPGA Winner in Spotlight After Absurd Tick Bites From Erin Hills
June 21, 2025
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While most players at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship are battling the Texas heat, slow play, and a demanding Fields Ranch East layout, Leona Maguire is dealing with something far more bizarre—tick bites!
Nearly three weeks ago, the 2-time LPGA winner got bitten by ticks at Erin Hills during the US Women’s Open, which are still haunting her game.
FRISCO, TEXAS – JUNE 18: Leona Maguire of Ireland looks on prior to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 18, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by… FRISCO, TEXAS – JUNE 18: Leona Maguire of Ireland looks on prior to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 18, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
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One particularly nasty blood blister on her right hand, which she described as looking “like a pepperoni,” continues to flare up as she grinds through the third major of the season.
Currently, she sits tied for 16th at +2 after two rounds, having opened with an even-par 72 and followed it with a 74 on Friday.
She trails leader Atthaya Thitikul by eight shots, but was giving the Thai star a solid chase early on.
According to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols, Maguire’s twin sister, Lisa, dressed the wound twice during Thursday’s opening round.
Leona Maguire suffered from tick bites at Erin Hills and now the meds she’s been on have wreaked havoc on her skin. Sister Lisa had to tend to this blood blister twice during Round 1 of the KPMG. pic.twitter.com/SkAJRWyWLy
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) June 19, 2025
The issue isn’t new. Maguire wore pants last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic to protect her legs, but couldn’t bring herself to do it again in the sweltering Texas heat.
“It’s made my skin like tissue paper,” she said, referencing the side effects of doxycycline, an antibiotic she took to prevent Lyme disease after the bites.
The medication has left her skin hypersensitive and blister-prone, forcing her to wear sun sleeves, something she typically avoids.
If this was not enough, the heat in Texas is making it worse.
Temperatures at Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas, have hovered in the mid-90s Fahrenheit (35°C), with high humidity and little breeze.
“It’s hot. I’m still cooling down right now,” said Nelly Korda after her round. “Everyone in the group is kind of going through it. Just have to be ready when you hit”.
Nelly Korda of the United States watches a tee shot on the sixth hole during the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 19,… Nelly Korda of the United States watches a tee shot on the sixth hole during the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 19, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Sam Hodde/Getty Images
For Maguire, the timing couldn’t be worse. After four straight missed cuts, she’s finally found rhythm with her driver and returned to her old putter.
But with her skin still raw and the Texas sun unrelenting, her resilience is being tested in more ways than one.
More Golf: Nelly Korda Looking to Tap into Scottie Scheffler at Women’s PGA Championsh
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