Leona Maguire has done everything bar win this year, but she had to work hard to keep pace with the leaders by opening with a five-under 67 in the $5 million, season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Florida.

Teeing it up at Tiburón Golf Club in the season finale for the second year running, the Co Cavan star opened with four straight birdies on a low-scoring day before recovering from a bogey at the ninth with an eagle three at the 17th.

Scores

She was tied 14th on five-under-par, just three shots behind South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6, who shot a bogey-free, eight-under 64 to top the 60-strong field by one stroke from compatriot Sei Young Kim, Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Mina Harigae and Maguire’s former Duke teammate Celine Boutier of France.

“It’s good to be back,” said Maguire, who played alongside Boutier on a day when windless conditions led to some hot scoring in the chase for the biggest first prize in women’s golf — $1.5 million (€1.32m).

“That was the goal of the start of the year to be back here and I got off a really fast start this morning and birdied my first four holes, which was really nice. I holed a couple of good putts and hit some good shots in.

“Conditions were pretty much perfect for scoring with no wind and some of the tees pushed up, so you had to make as many birdies as you could.

“I stalled for a bit on the back nine, but it was nice to get that eagle coming in. You really have to take advantage today because it seems like everyone is going low pretty much,

“Celine was in the lead and playing some pretty nice golf, so it was just a case of trying to keep up with her as best I could.”

Maguire is ranked 17th in the Race to CME Globe standings and with spots in all the Majors all but guaranteed for 2022, she’s looking to challenge for that elusive first win.

“This week is kind of a bonus week and I’m trying to finish off the year as best I can,” the world number 45 said.
CME points leader and defending champion Jin Young Ko birdied two of her last three holes in a three-under 69.

World number one Nelly Korda, bidding for back to back wins and her fifth LPGA Tour victory this season, made eight birdies in a six-under 66 to lurk just two shots off the pace in a tie for sixth.