Mehaffey moves up in Women's NSW Open
Olivia Mehaffey at the LET Q-School last December. Credit: Tristan Jones/LET
Olivia Mehaffey moved into the top 30 at halfway after carding a one-under 71 in the second round of the Women's NSW Open on the Ladies European Tour.
The Banbridge star slipped to two-over for the tournament with a bogey at the par-three 15th at Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club near Brisbane.
But she fought back and birdied the par-five ninth before closing with another birdie four at the 10th to share 23rd place on level par.
She’s seven shots behind Sweden’s Maja Stark who followed her opening 68 with a 69 top lead by a shot from Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher and Lydia G Hall of Wales, who shot 67s, with England’s Alice Hewson fourth on five-under after a 70.
After starting her round with two bogeys, Stark rolled in two birdies and a further bogey on the front nine to make the turn in 37 .
The two-time LET winner had a better back nine with birdies on the 10th, 12th and 13th before dropping a shot on the 15th.
But she finished with a flourish making birdies at the 17th and 18th to lead the tournament on seven-under-par.
“I can’t really remember anything from the round! It was a lot of up and downs, I do know that,” she said. “It was very frustrating and then I was able to make a few putts on the back nine so that made me a little bit happier again.
“It wasn’t a great start. I hit it in the water on one with a hook, which was interesting. I didn’t make up and down and I didn’t do it on the hole after that either. It was just a struggle.
“It is always good to be in the lead. I’m happy and I just want to take the good stuff from these two rounds because I made more bogeys than I usually do when I shoot these scores.
“I think I want to just focus on the good stuff with my game. I need to believe in myself and be confident.”
In the LPGA’s Palos Verdes Championship in California, Minjee Lee fired an eight-under 63 to lead by a shot from world number one Jin Young Ko as Stephanie Meadow, two-under after seven holes, slipped to a two-over 73.
Meadow is tied 97th while Leona Maguire is joint 114th after taking 33 putts in a 74 featuring two birdies and five bogeys.
On the PGA Tour, Graeme McDowell made four birdies and three bogeys in a one-under 70 to share 61st as world number two Rahm made five birdies and an eagle two in a seven-under 64 to share the first-round lead in the Mexico Open at Vidanta.
The Basque was tied with Jonathan Byrd, Brendon Todd, Trey Mullinax, Bryson Nimmer and Kurt Kitayama, one stroke ahead of England’s Aaron Rai and US trio Aaron Wise, Sahith Theegala and Scott Brown.
Elsewhere, Pádraig Harrington joins Darren Clarke in the Insperity Invitational in Texas for the first of five events in a row, including two senior majors and the PGA Championship.
The Dubliner (50) is looking to break his duck on the seniors circuit and he’s bullish about his game, insisting they but for his putting, he might have been in the mix at the Masters rather than missing the cut by one.
“I should have been under par, not missing the cut,” he said. “Should have been in contention. There you go. The game is solid. I just don't putt as well as -- got to hole the putts.
“Hopefully, being out on this tour I'll create more opportunities and start holing a few more putts and start feeling good about my putting.”
He’s joined in Texas by his Ryder Cup opposite number Steve Stricker, who was laid low by a mystery virus after Whistling Straits and only returns to action this week.
“Oh, it's great,” Harrington said of Sticker’s return. “Quite scary really, his illness.”
Despite the lopsided scoreline in Wisconsin, the pair have a bond, even though Harrington feels Stricker “has one over me”.
“Of course, we'll have a bond,” Harrington said. “All Ryder Cup captains have a bond going forward, but no more so than the one you're competing against.“
Mutual respect?
”Absolutely. We got on well. Steve is a tough customer. I've always known that.”
