Leona Maguire seeking sixth career win; five clear entering final round

Leona Maguire. Courtesy: Clyde Click

Duke University's Leona Maguire is on track for the sixth collegiate win of her career in the LSU Tiger Golf Classic in Louisiana.

The world amateur number one added a 68 to her opening 67 to lead by five strokes on nine-under-par from Washington's Julianne Alvarez and teammate Virginia Elena Carta at The University Club in Baton Rouge.

If she wins, it will be Leona's sixth collegiate victory in three years, equalling the records of LPGA Tour players Brittany Lang and Lindy Duncan on Duke’s all-time charts. 

Duke posted rounds of 285 and 286 on Friday to lead by 13 strokes on five-under-par 571 from Oklahoma State (584) with Leona the star of the show.

With bad weather forecast for Saturday, no golf was played and the final round will be a shotgun start from 8.30 am on Sunday (Live scoring).

Leona's halfway total of 135 and tied for the second-lowest 36-hole total in Duke history on a par 72 course.

After opening the tournament with a bogey, she went on to go 25 holes without carding a bogey, picking up eight birdies and an eagle along the way.  

She birdied the third, fourth and eighth to get to two-under-par, then added birdies on the 10th, 15th and 17th, hitting 11 fairways, 16 greens and taking just 28 putts in a five-under-par 67.

In the second round, she birdied the third, then holed a 15-yard greenside bunker shot on the 478-yard, par-five sixth for her third eagle of the season.  

She added another birdie at the eighth to get to four-under with her lone bogey of the second round coming on the ninth hole, before closing the back nine with eight pars and a birdie on the 448-yard, par five 14th.  

She hit 16 greens, 13 fairways and had 30 putts in round two.  

Lisa Maguire, who is playing as an individual, is tied for 65th on 14-over after rounds of 81 and 77