Leona Maguire insisted there are “no panic stations” after she endured another frustrating day on the greens to trail leader Annabel Dimmock by 11 strokes heading into the final round of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House Fairmont.

The world number 32 hit 17 greens in regulation but made just two birdies against one bogey in a one-under 72 that left her tied for 27th on five-under.

"I try to be patient,” said Maguire, who sandwiched a bogey at the 12th between birdies at the par-five first and 15th holes.

“I kept giving myself chances and it would have been very easy to get frustrated.  “The crowds were fantastic today as well, and I wanted to give them something to cheer about but wasn't quite there today, simple as that.”

Putting has been a mystery for the Co Cavan star over the first three rounds on the O’Meara Course, but she is not concerned just a week before she heads to Virginia to try and help Europe lift the Solheim Cup for the fourth time in a row.

"I don't think it's a million miles away,” she said. “I feel like I am hitting nice putts; a lot of them are burning edges. I have next week to figure that out. 

"It's something minor. The rest of my game is in as good a shape as it has been for a number of months.
“It's been a long four week stretch with Olympics and a major and getting battered in the wind and rain in Scotland,” she added.  

“I’ll take it easy for a couple of days next week and then do just a bit of fine-tuning, I before Solheim.  

“We fly out Sunday lunchtime, and there's still a lot of build-up before Friday comes along, so still plenty to fine-tune. There are no panic stations by any means.”

Maguire will need something special to threaten English star Dimmock, whose mother hails from Cork, after she follwed a second rounds 66 with a course record, eight-under 65 to lead by two from Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom on 14-under and by four from Italy’s Alessandra Fanali and Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes. 

“I’ll go tomorrow still to shoot as low as I possibly can,” she said.  “I do feel like there is a low one out there, so we'll get at it early and see what happens.”

Dimmock (27) is seeking her second LET win and her first for five years as she bids to complete a dream comeback from a serious thumb injury.

“Do you know what? No matter what happens tomorrow, this week has been huge for me, just purely to know that it's still there,” Dimmock said after going bogey-free in front of a 12,000 crowd.

“To be honest with you, I lost count of my score out there, which is something that I've never really done before.

Joint fourth with Maguire at Dromoland Castle in 2022 and tied fifth there last year, she feels at home in Ireland, which is no surprise given her mother Louise (née Manning) hails from Youghal.

“I'm an Irish passport holder,” she said. “I love Ireland. I love the Irish fans. I have such great support out here; they really cheer me on out there, and I really appreciate it.  

“It feels like my second home here. So it's really nice to do this in front of the Irish fans.”
As for thoughts of winning again, she said: “It's something that I will probably pull myself back from thinking about tonight, but I'm only human.  

“I'm obviously going to think about lifting that trophy, but I know for me to go out there and do that, I need to just focus on the things that I can control, and that's getting back now, having a nice meal and getting a good night's sleep and just sticking to the same game plan that I've had the last two days.”

Edmondstown amateur Anna Abom (18) followed rounds 72 and 71 with a five-over 78  to slip to 60th on two-over, but the Rathfarnham schoolgirl is thrilled to have the chance to gain experience after making the cut on her debut in a professional event.

“It's been absolutely unreal,” said Abom, who returns to school on Monday.  “The support I've gotten this week has been amazing, and it's only grown today with more people out watching.  

“I was signing loads of autographs when I came off 18. So even though maybe I didn't quite score as well as I did the first few days, I still enjoyed the round just as much.

“I think I would have taken this at the beginning of the week,  just having made the cut. If you had told me that on Monday, I would have been happy.”