Wayward Maguire 11 back in China as McKibbin and Hatton star for Legion XIII in Hong Kong
Leona Maguire struggled from the tee and fell 11 shots off the pace in the Blue Bay LPGA in China.
The Co Cavan star (29) birdied the sixth and 16th in Hainan Island, but a triple bogey seven at the 10th and a double bogey five at the 11th saw her add a 75 to her opening 73.
Her birdie two at the 16th helped her make the four-over cut on the mark.
But after hitting just seven fairways and only seven greens in regulation, she’s 11 strokes behind Japan’s Nasa Hatoaka and American Cassie Porter.
Hatoaka shot a 66 and Porter a 68 to lead by a shot on seven-under from Japan’s Rio Takeda, who carded a 69.
Meanwhile, Sara Byrne struggled in winds gusting over 35mph to open with a 12-over 83 in the Epson Tour’s Atlantic Beach Classic in Florida.
American Yana Wilson was leading on two-under-par through 15 holes when play was suspended, one clear of clubhouse leaders Bi Shin of Korea and compatriot Riley Smith.
At LIV Golf Hong Kong, Tom McKibbin made seven birdies in a three-under 67 to trail Paul Casey by four strokes after the opening round.
The Holywood star was six under with seven holes to play but he followed bogeys at the sixth and ninth with a double bogey at the 10th before finishing with a birdie at the 11th.
He was tied for 14th in the individual standings, four behind Casey, whose bogey-free 63 gave him a two-shot lead over Sebastian Munoz, Peter Uihlein, Luis Masaveu, Sergio Garcia, Chieh-Po Lee and Martin Kaymer.
Casey’s round helped Crushers GC (Bryson DeChambeau 66, Charles Howell III 67 and Anirban Lahiri 72) share the lead in the team event with Torque GC (Munoz 65, Joaquin Niemann 67, Carlos Ortiz 68 and Miri Pareira 68) on 12-under.
Garcia’s Fireballs were a shot back on 11-under with McKibbin’s Legion XIII (now sponsored by Callaway) tied for 10th on two-under after Tyrrell Hatton shot 67, Jon Rahm 69 and Caleb Surrat a 75.
Graeme McDowell shot 68 to share 23rd but Team Smash were dead last in the team event after Talor Gooch shot 70, Brooks Koepka 72 and Jason Kokrak a 73.
