LEONA MAGUIRE ROSE into a tie for sixth after charging up the Irish Open leaderboard with a flawless 63 at a rain-soaked K Club.
The Cavan native reckoned she could’ve shot 62 on Friday, rather than 71, such was the volume of chances she created. And she came within a lipped-out putt on the 18th of hitting that exact mark, having also come close to birdie on 16.
Leona Maguire said she felt she could have hit 62 on Friday - she was a lipped out putt on the 18th away from doing exactly that on Saturday
Maguire is in the clubhouse on -11 after a nine-under 63 as the rain comes bucketing down in Straffan
But overall, it was a superb afternoon for Maguire as she found form before the Solheim Cup, which starts in the Netherlands on Friday week.
Leona Maguire has been in scintillating form at a rainy K Club, rattling in nine birdies in her first 15 holes to rise to fourth place in the KPMG Women's Irish Open
The 31-year-old burst out of the blocks with three consecutive birdies from the second before gaining back-to-back strokes at seven and eight, where she unleashed a brilliant eight iron to within feet of the 137-yard par-three pin.
Having got up and down at the ninth to turn in 31, her precise chip enabled a sixth birdie of the day at number 10.
There were further birdies at the par-three 12th, the 14th, and 15th to bring up nine-under for the round and 11-under for the tournament.
She remained on that mark at the end of her round, setting the early clubhouse target.
She heads into Sunday seven shots off Casandra Alexander, whose five-shot buffer was narrowed to three. The South African carded 69 for 18-under, while Czechia’s Sara Kouskova shot 67.
Swede Kajsa Arwefjall is also in contention after matching Maguire’s 63 for 13-under. Her compatriots, Corinne Viden and Louise Rydqvist are on 12-under, one shot ahead of Maguire.
On a generally good day for the Irish, Anna Foster also made a move up the leaderboard. The Dublin rookie ended with back-to-back birdies for a flawless 66, lifting her to seven-under.
Áine Donegan fired seven birdies, alongside four bogeys, for a 69 which took her to five-under.
Despite a triple-bogey at the fourth, Lauren Walsh was otherwise foot perfect with eight birdies to sign for a 65. She sits on five-under.
Canice Screene went the other direction as, having turned at eight-under, she recorded a 10 at the par-five last to finish with a 76 for one-under overall.
The other home player to make the cut, Annabel Wilson, finished with three bogeys to end with a 73. She is even par for the tournament.
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Leona Maguire rockets up Irish Open leaderboard with bogey-free 63
LAST UPDATE | 33 mins ago
LEONA MAGUIRE ROSE into a tie for sixth after charging up the Irish Open leaderboard with a flawless 63 at a rain-soaked K Club.
The Cavan native reckoned she could’ve shot 62 on Friday, rather than 71, such was the volume of chances she created. And she came within a lipped-out putt on the 18th of hitting that exact mark, having also come close to birdie on 16.
But overall, it was a superb afternoon for Maguire as she found form before the Solheim Cup, which starts in the Netherlands on Friday week.
The 31-year-old burst out of the blocks with three consecutive birdies from the second before gaining back-to-back strokes at seven and eight, where she unleashed a brilliant eight iron to within feet of the 137-yard par-three pin.
Having got up and down at the ninth to turn in 31, her precise chip enabled a sixth birdie of the day at number 10.
There were further birdies at the par-three 12th, the 14th, and 15th to bring up nine-under for the round and 11-under for the tournament.
She remained on that mark at the end of her round, setting the early clubhouse target.
She heads into Sunday seven shots off Casandra Alexander, whose five-shot buffer was narrowed to three. The South African carded 69 for 18-under, while Czechia’s Sara Kouskova shot 67.
Swede Kajsa Arwefjall is also in contention after matching Maguire’s 63 for 13-under. Her compatriots, Corinne Viden and Louise Rydqvist are on 12-under, one shot ahead of Maguire.
On a generally good day for the Irish, Anna Foster also made a move up the leaderboard. The Dublin rookie ended with back-to-back birdies for a flawless 66, lifting her to seven-under.
Áine Donegan fired seven birdies, alongside four bogeys, for a 69 which took her to five-under.
Despite a triple-bogey at the fourth, Lauren Walsh was otherwise foot perfect with eight birdies to sign for a 65. She sits on five-under.
Canice Screene went the other direction as, having turned at eight-under, she recorded a 10 at the par-five last to finish with a 76 for one-under overall.
The other home player to make the cut, Annabel Wilson, finished with three bogeys to end with a 73. She is even par for the tournament.
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