IRELAND’S LEONA MAGUIRE and former men’s US Open champion Lucas Glover are a shot off the lead at the Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Florida, after a sensational start in which they made 10 consecutive birdies.
Maguire, 29, and Glover, 44, finished with a 15-under-par 57 to sit a stroke shy of American duo Nelly Korda and Tony Finau at Tiburon Golf Club.
Maguire and her playing partner are tied for second after the first round of the co-sanctioned event in which 16 LPGA and 16 PGA Tour players compete together for a top prize of $1 million.
Asked by NBC what their tactics were ahead of a sensational start in which they back-to-back birdied all the way to the 11th, Glover replied: “Hit it close and let Leona putt”.
“I got told earlier in the week just to let her putt first, stay out of her way, and I probably won’t have to putt much,” Glover added. “I listened to some sage advice. They were right.”
Maguire said of Glover: “He’s been great. He’s been a gent all week and it’s been a pleasure to be in his company.
“Any time you get to play with a major champion, you’re pretty lucky. He had some really nice approach shots today and I tried to take a little bit of pressure off him with the putter.”
“I’m going to be playing out of the fairway a lot tomorrow,” Glover smiled. “Like, every hole.
“Hopefully she is too.”
