LEONA MAGUIRE NEEDED another big day to stay in touch with the leaders at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.
Instead she had an uncharacteristically average day with the putter as she shot a one-under round of 71 to follow on from yesterday’s impressive opening round score of 67.
It means she is in a tie for 19th, eight shots adrift of leader, Celine Boutier from France. Australia’s Minjee Lee, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez and the US’s Mina Harigae share a tie for second, four shots behind Boutier.
As for Maguire, well she knows her overall game is good shape. She averaged 259 yards off the tee; she found the fairway in all bar one of her drives and hit 15 out of 18 greens in regulation. Her putter wasn’t hot, though, even if she did birdie the first and the third – later the 14th.
A run of pars, from six to 13, dulled her scorecard. Bogeys on two and five hardly helped either as every time Maguire sought to build some momentum, she came unstuck.
You can’t say that about Boutier. She was brilliant today, shooting a 65 to match her first round score. It was her form on the inward nine that was just sensational, though, as she shot six birdies on the way home to force her way into an impressive lead.
