Maguire on fire in Florida; McDowell and Lowry start well in Houston
BELLEAIR, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 11: Leona Maguire of Ireland plays a shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Pelican Women's Championship at Pelican Golf Club on November 11, 2021 in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Leona Maguire looks determined to claim her maiden LPGA Tour win after opening with bogey-free, eight-under 62 to leave a star-studded field in her wake at the Pelican Women’s Championship.
The Cavan star (26) birdied all four par-threes, hit every fairway and took just 24 putts, curling in a closing seven-footer for the second-lowest round of her career.
“It was pretty stress-free,” beamed Europe’s Solheim Cup hero, who led by two shots in the clubhouse from defending Sei Young Kim and by three from world No 1 Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Christina Kim, Lexi Thompson, Nasa Hataoka, Lauren Coughlin and Jennifer Kupcho at Pelican Golf Club near Tampa.
“I played the par threes pretty well — I birdied all of them, which really helps — and I was just really really solid. I hit a lot of greens and gave myself a lot of chances and rolled some nice putts.”
The Ballyconnell star struggled with her irons in her last start, but with coach Shane O’Grady making his first US trip since 2019, she impressively left playing partners Kim and Thompson in her wake.
“It’s just being more comfortable in these sort of pairings and Sei Young and Lexi are two of the best players in the world,” said the world No 47, who can take her 2021 earnings beyond $1m with a win.
Stephanie Meadow, 101st in the Race to CME Globe standings with only the top 100 keeping their cards, fought back from four-over after a triple-bogey seven at the sixth to card a level par 70.
Meadow (29) must make the cut to avoid the Q-Series and looks on track birdies at the 17th and 18th left her tied 51st.
Meanwhile, Pete Cowen will continue to consult with Rory McIlroy despite the four-time Major champion’s decision to go back to lifelong coach Michael Bannon.
“It’s being called a ‘split’, which surprises me, as I signed a deal with Rory a few weeks ago,” Cowen told the Daily Telegraph from Dubai where Pádraig Harrington opened with a four-under 68 in AVIV Dubai Championship.
“It hasn’t yet been rescinded, as far as I know. I’m still on the books and part of the team.
“I always stressed to Rory the importance of Michael. He knows that swing better than anyone and it would have been crazy to leave behind all that knowledge. They’ve won four majors together.”
McIlroy told Golfweek he was working with Bannon again but added: “I’ve always had a relationship with Pete and I’ll ask for his input if I feel I need it.”
Needing a top-10 finish to qualify the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Harrington was tied 26th, five shots behind Dane Joachim B Hansen, who shot a bogey-free, nine-under 63 for a two-shot lead over defending champion Antoine Rozner of France, South Africa’s Dean Burmester and English duo Paul Waring and Andy Sullivan.
“It could have been a few better, but overall, it was okay,” Harrington said. “Four-under is a good springboard.”
Jonathan Caldwell was 75th after making five birdies in a 71. Scores
Meanwhile, Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry were just three shots behind Russell Henley, Talor Gooch and Marc Leishman with Luke List also five-under after 15 holes in the rain-delayed Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open.
McDowell opened with a two-under 68 to share 12th with Lowry, who was two-under through 10 holes when play was suspended due to darkness.
Lowry was bogey-free after picking up shots at the fifth (seven feet) and sixth (25 feet).
However, Seamus Power was four-over through eight holes after following bogeys at the 11th, 12th and 14th with a birdie two at the 15th and a double-bogey seven at the 16th, where he dumped a 79-yard third into water.
