Leona Maguire leads Irish trio into last 16 at Portstewart
The buzz around Leona Maguire is growing as RTE are here to interview her! #LGUAmateurChamps pic.twitter.com/cxichQ2ny3
— Ladies' Golf Union (@LadiesGolfUnion) June 11, 2015Just three players from GB&I made the last 16 in the Ladies' British Amateur Open at Portstewart and all three are Irish with world No 1 Leona Maguire leading the way.
The Duke University and Slieve Russell star looks almost unbeatable aving outclassed the opposition with an 11-under-par total and a six-stroke victory in strokeplay qualifying.
But while she's aware that anything can happen in matchplay, it's clearly going to take something special to stop her.
The 20-year-old was a combined 10 under par as she avoided making a single bogey and played only 27 holes to reach the last 16, beating 64th qualifier Martina Edberg of Sweden by 8 and 6 in little over 2 and a half hours in the first round before seeing off Camille Chevalier of France, who had won her opening tie by 6 and 5, by 4 and 3 after lunch
Leona now faces the 16th qualifier Joanna Charlton from Melbourne on Friday morning for a place in the afternoon quarter-finals.
Royal County Down Ladies' Olivia Mehaffey will meet Sweden's Madalene Sagstrom having beaten Lianna Bailey England's 5 and 4 and Elizabeth Prior 2 and 1.
Paula Grant beat Israel's Hadas Libman 4 and 3 in the morning and then defeat Switzerland's Kim Metraux late in the afternoon to set up a last 16 meeting with Sweden's Elin Esborn.
