LEONA MAGUIRE IS in contention heading into the weekend at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
The world no.11 is three shots off the lead held by home favourite Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, who set the pace with a 12-under par total at the €1.6m event.
Maguire hasn’t recorded a bogey in her opening two rounds, with four birdies giving her a second-round 68 to follow her opening 67 which leaves her in a tie for eighth.
Vongtaveelap, a 20-year-old Thai rookie, only turned professional in November and is contesting her first LPGA event after getting a sponsor invite.
But if she was nervous she did not show it, carding a seven-under-par 65 in the second round at Siam Country Club Pattaya.
Natthakritta, who fired eight birdies against one bogey, said: “I feel excited to play in front of Thai (fans). This is my first time, you know. It’s my largest (crowd).”
Swede Maja Stark is second on 11-under ahead of a five-way tie for third that includes world no.2 Nelly Korda and Maguire’s Solheim Cup teammates Emily Kristine Pedersen and Celine Boutier.
The Cavan native will tee off in the fourth-last group tomorrow alongside another Team Europe colleague in Georgia Hall and Yuka Saso of Japan.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko, the New Zealander who has been in red-hot form, was four shots off the lead in a share of 15th.
Ko had surged into the lead after three birdies in her first four holes and she picked up three more, but she faltered on the back nine with a bogey and double bogey.
The Seoul-born 25-year-old settled for a four-under-par 68, just as she had done on the opening day.
- Additional reporting by AFP
