With 14-year-old Guan Tianlang appearing in the Masters a few years ago and Lydia Ko winning a LPGA Tour event at 15, it seems like there’s more pressure than ever for young stars to play full-time pro golf. As Tiger Woods returns to the game this week as a golf-weary veteran at only 40, Leona Maguire’s decision to finish her college degree instead of turning professional is admirable.

There’s no doubt that the World No 1 amateur was capable of progressing through LPGA Q-School but for her life and education were more important in the long-term. It was a path also taken by Pádraig Harrington, who only turned professional at 24 after finishing his accountancy degree. Mature and ready for the pro game from the start, he won a year later and the rest is history.

Harrington says that the elite player has an average of 20 years at the top level no matter what and it does not matter when you start. If that is the case for Leona, then she has graduation and a great golf career to look forward to in the future.