Leona Maguire has placed herself inside the top-10 after the first round of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open following a tidy three-under par round of 70 at Carton House.
Maguire, the main attraction for the galleries in Maynooth, sits just two strokes adrift of the leaders after a bogey-free opening round as she seeks a second victory on the Ladies European Tour and a first on home soil.
The Cavan woman registered all three of her birdies on par-5s at the par-73 O’Meara course, which is hosting an Irish Open for the first time – its brother layout, the adjacent Montgomerie course, having hosted the men’s Irish Open three times in 2005, 2006 and 2013.
Maguire made a fine start with a birdie at the par-5 opener. Another followed at the sixth but she had to wait to the penultimate hole to climb onto -3. Impeded by a tree at finding the first cut at the 18th, she cut a beautiful hybrid into the front of the green and made sure of a closing par.
The two-time LPGA Tour winner heads the Irish challenge, sitting only two shots behind the leading trio – Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, Finland’s Ursula Wikstroem and Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes.
Wikstroem, still seeking a first Tour win at the age of 43, briefly held the lead on her own after six birdies in her opening 12 holes. However, a bogey on 14 brought her back level with Fanali on five-under and a birdie-bogey finish saw her card 68.
Of the 13-strong Irish contingent at Carton House, a grouping which contains eight amateurs, four are currently under-par.
Maguire’s fellow pro Olivia Mehaffey carded a one-under 72, as did the in-form Dublin amateur Anna Abom, playing out of the Edmonstown club, who, starting on the back nine, birdied the 13th and 14th to get off to a terrific start, eventually finishing Thursday at -1.
16-year old Roscommon amateur Olivia Costello birdied the sixth (her 15th) to climb into red numbers on one-under par and at the ninth she repeated the trick for a highly-impressive -2 start.
Five Irish players are on one-over par after Thursday, Lauren Walsh carding a 74 in a topsy-turvy round which included three birdies and four bogeys. Annabel Wilson, on her pro debut, registered 74, as did three amateurs, Kate Dillon, Roisín Scanlon, with Canice Screene at +3.
Anna Foster, like Wilson, making her pro debut this week, carded an opening three-over 76. Aideen Walsh and Emma Fleming shot 78, while Kate Lanigan registered a seven-over par 80 on Day 1.
Watch the Women’s Irish Open on Saturday and Sunday from 2pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. Live coverage also available on Thursday and Friday from 4pm on the RTÉ News Channel and RTÉ Player.