LEONA MAGUIRE WAS the best of the Irish on the first day of the Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in Lancashire.
Maguire signed for a round of 73 to sit two-over, nine shots off the lead set by Thailand’s Atthaya ‘Jeeno’ Thitikul on the coast of northwest England.
The Cavan woman is in a share of 56th after a mixed opening day.
Maguire made a steady start and shot the first of her two birdies on the sixth. Four bogeys followed, on the seventh, 10th and back-to-back on holes 13 and 14, but she finished on a high with another birdie on the 18th.
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Lauren Walsh and Anna Foster sit four- and five-over following rounds of 75 and 76 respectively. Walsh shot six bogeys, including four in a row from the 13th to 16th inclusive, and three birdies. Foster dropped five shots and picked up one.
Jeeno Thitikul enjoys the clubhouse lead after a sizzling round of 64, topping the leaderboard on seven-under as the world number two seeks her first major.
Ryu Hae-ran had set the early pace, sinking six birdies in an opening 66 as she made a strong start to her bid to win a third straight major.
The South Korean, 25, has enjoyed a whirlwind few weeks, winning the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota in June before adding the Evian Championship in France earlier this month.
She made a seamless switch to links golf at Royal Lytham & St Annes, making four birdies in her first seven holes. After a bogey on the par-four 15th, she recovered to birdie two of the final three holes to wrestle the earlier lead from American Yealimi Noh, who carded a 67.
US world number one Nelly Korda, who was grouped with Ryu and 2024 British Open champion Lydia Ko, finished at two-over par. Korda, 28, is also seeking her third major of the year after claiming the Chevron Championship and the US Open.
Meanwhile, Seamus Power is well down the field at the Rocket Classic on the PGA Tour.
The Waterford man carded a round of 73 to sit three-over, as Peter Malnati holds the current lead on nine-under.
Power began on the back nine and made a promising start with back-to-back bogeys on holes 10 and 11. A double bogey on the 13th was a setback, with birdies following on the 15th and 18th and a bogey in between on hole 17 in an up-and-down round.
Further bogeys on the fourth, fifth and ninth leave him with an uphill battle in Detroit.
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Leona Maguire best of Irish at Women's Open in Lancashire
LEONA MAGUIRE WAS the best of the Irish on the first day of the Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in Lancashire.
Maguire signed for a round of 73 to sit two-over, nine shots off the lead set by Thailand’s Atthaya ‘Jeeno’ Thitikul on the coast of northwest England.
The Cavan woman is in a share of 56th after a mixed opening day.
Maguire made a steady start and shot the first of her two birdies on the sixth. Four bogeys followed, on the seventh, 10th and back-to-back on holes 13 and 14, but she finished on a high with another birdie on the 18th.
Lauren Walsh and Anna Foster sit four- and five-over following rounds of 75 and 76 respectively. Walsh shot six bogeys, including four in a row from the 13th to 16th inclusive, and three birdies. Foster dropped five shots and picked up one.
Jeeno Thitikul enjoys the clubhouse lead after a sizzling round of 64, topping the leaderboard on seven-under as the world number two seeks her first major.
Ryu Hae-ran had set the early pace, sinking six birdies in an opening 66 as she made a strong start to her bid to win a third straight major.
The South Korean, 25, has enjoyed a whirlwind few weeks, winning the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota in June before adding the Evian Championship in France earlier this month.
She made a seamless switch to links golf at Royal Lytham & St Annes, making four birdies in her first seven holes. After a bogey on the par-four 15th, she recovered to birdie two of the final three holes to wrestle the earlier lead from American Yealimi Noh, who carded a 67.
US world number one Nelly Korda, who was grouped with Ryu and 2024 British Open champion Lydia Ko, finished at two-over par. Korda, 28, is also seeking her third major of the year after claiming the Chevron Championship and the US Open.
Meanwhile, Seamus Power is well down the field at the Rocket Classic on the PGA Tour.
The Waterford man carded a round of 73 to sit three-over, as Peter Malnati holds the current lead on nine-under.
Power began on the back nine and made a promising start with back-to-back bogeys on holes 10 and 11. A double bogey on the 13th was a setback, with birdies following on the 15th and 18th and a bogey in between on hole 17 in an up-and-down round.
Further bogeys on the fourth, fifth and ninth leave him with an uphill battle in Detroit.
– © AFP 2026
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