Cavan amateur Lisa Maguire produced a birdie-eagle finish to open with a three under par 69 in the first round of the ISPS Handa Portugal Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour.

The 16-year-old shares 19th place at the CampoReal Resort and Spa course north of Lisbon, five shots behind the first round leader Gwladys Nocera of France, who had a course record eight under par 64.

Her twin sister Leona had a two-over 74 to share 80th place, three shots outside the projected cut mark, which will be made to the leading 50 players and those tied after Saturday’s second round.

Lisa said: “I finished birdie, eagle, on 17 and 18 so it was nice. I had a bad drive off 17 so we just played for position and I holed about a 15 foot putt and then the chip in from 40 yards on 18.

“I played well all day today. I probably left two shots out there but hopefully if I can have two more good rounds I won’t be that far away.”

Leona, the 2011 Portuguese International Amateur Champion, was slightly disappointed, but commented: “It was okay I suppose. I played quite well and then just the second and the 17th killed me.

“I hit one out of bounds and one in the hazard. Other than that I played really well and if I holed a few more putts it could have been a lot lower.”

She admitted that the teenagers are still closely matched in terms of their golfing ability.

“I do well one week and she does well the next week so we’ve both won already and we are quite a similar standard. Our handicaps are pretty much the same: I’m +4.5 and she’s +4.2 so there’s not much in it. I think she’s played a little better than me today.”

She also revealed that the twins will play in the AIB Ladies Irish Open at Killeen Castle and will try to qualify for the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Carnoustie in late July.

ISPS Handa Portugal Ladies Open, CampoReal Resort and Spa

13-15 May 2011

Scores at the end of round 1:

64 - Gwladys Nocera (FRA)

66 - Ashleigh Simon (SA), Sarah Kemp (AUS), Stacy Lee Bregman (SA)

67 - Louise Stahle (SWE), Belen Mozo (ESP), Diana Luna (ITA)

68 - Lucie Andre (FRA), Malene Jorgensen (DEN), Lydia Hall (WAL), Christel Boeljon (NL), Caroline Afonso (FRA), Kim Welch (USA), Caroline Hedwall (SWE), Felicity Johnson (ENG), Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA), Cassandra Kirkland (FRA), Rachel Jennings (ENG)

69 - Bree Arthur (AUS), Elizabeth Bennett (ENG), Laura Davies (ENG), Lisa Maguire (Am) (IRE), Corisande Lee (ENG), Julie Tvede (DEN), Sahra Hassan (WAL), Caroline Rominger (SWI), Jaclyn Sweeney (USA), Becky Morgan (WAL), Connie Chen (SA), Kyra van Leeuwen (NL)

70 - Becky Brewerton (WAL), Julie Maisongrosse (FRA), Rebecca Flood (AUS), Martina Gillen (IRE), Louise Larsson (SWE), Margherita Rigon (ITA), Nikki Garrett (AUS), Melissa Reid (ENG), Kristie Smith (AUS), Georgina Simpson (ENG), Diana D’Alessio (USA)

71 - Alison Walshe (USA), Anja Monke (GER), Kylie Walker (SCO), Karen Lunn (AUS), Dewi Claire Schreefel (NL), Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA), Stefania Croce (ITA), Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN), Marion Ricordeau (FRA), Linda Wessberg (SWE), Marina Arruti (ESP)

72 - Lee-Anne Pace (SA), Pernilla Lindberg (SWE), Rebecca Hudson (ENG), Krystle Caithness (SCO), Julie Greciet (FRA), Carly Booth (SCO), Marjet van der Graaff (NL), Titiya Plucksataporn (THA), Sara Brown (USA), Kiran Matharu (ENG), Laurette Maritz (SA), Helen Alfredsson (SWE), Beth Allen (USA), Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA), Minea Blomqvist (FIN)

73 - Barbara Genuini (FRA), Johanna Lundberg (SWE), Lynn Kenny (SCO), Florentyna Parker (ENG), Morgana Robbertze (SA), Sophie Gustafson (SWE), Line Vedel (DEN), Joanna Klatten (FRA), Magda Carrilho (Am) (PGL), Marieke Nivard (NL), Stefanie Michl (AUT), Rachel Bell (ENG)

74 - Rebecca Codd (IRE), Sophie Sandolo (ITA), Leona Maguire (Am) (IRE), Holly Aitchison (ENG), Christine Hallstrom (SWE), Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN), Federica Piovano (ITA), Tandi Cuningham (SA), Lara Tadiotto (BEL)

75 - Lora Fairclough (ENG), Emma Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Hannah Jun (USA), Stacey Keating (AUS), Jessica Ji (KOR), Danielle Montgomery (ENG), Melodie Bourdy (FRA)

76 - Garrett Phillips (USA), Carmen Alonso (ESP), Tania Elosegui (ESP), Kym Larratt (ENG), Vicky Tomko (SVK), Nontaya Srisawang (THA), Melanie Maetzler (SWI), Sophie Walker (ENG), Benedicte Toumpsin (BEL), Valentine Derrey (FRA), Laura Cabanillas (ESP)

77 - Liebelei Elena Lawrence (GR), Gemma Webster (SCO), Frances Bondad (AUS)

78 - Maha Haddioui (MOR), Kate Combes (AUS), Susana Ribeiro (Am) (PGL), Elisabeth Esterl (GER), Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN), Vikki Laing (SCO), Veronica Zorzi (ITA)

79 - Monia Bernardo (PGL), Kirsty J Fisher (UK), Nicole Gergely (AUT)

80 - Adriana Zwanck (ESP), Clare Queen (SCO)

81 - Ana Larraneta (ESP), Sofia Camara (Am) (PGL)

84 - Helena Blomberg (SWE), Breanne Loucks (WAL)

86 - Ludivine Kreutz (FRA)