Maguire battles to dip inside projected cut line in Texas
Leona Maguire fired a one-under 71 and looked likely to make the cut in The Chevron Championship in Texas.
The Co Cavan star returned to the course early on Friday to complete the final hole of her weather-delayed first round and birdied the 18th to open with a three-over 75.
She was tied for 94th heading out in the afternoon and turned in two-under to dip inside the cut line.
After opening with a birdie four at the 10th, where she almost holed her approach, she bogeyed the par five 13th but birdied the 16th from 15 feet and the par-three 17th from 18 inches to turn in 34.
A double bogey at the par-three third was a huge blow and after brushing in a five footer at the fifth to get back in the red for the day, she dropped another shot at the par-three seventh to slip to three over again.
Digging deep, the Solheim Cup battler made a crucial birdie four at the eighth before finishing with a par to keep her hopes of weekend action alive on two over.
She was tied for 64th on two-over when play was suspended, nine shots behind clubhouse leader Yan Liu of China, who added a 72 to her opening 65 to lead by a shot from Americans Lindy Duncan (66) and Sarah Schmelzel (68), Japan’s Mao Saigo (68) and Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim (71) on seven under.
Defending champion Nelly Korda shot 68 to move up to 46th on one over.
Meanwhile, Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell was set to make his second cut in a row in the DP World Tour’s Hainan Classic at Mission Hills.
The Dubliner (27) started the day on one-over after a opening 73 but birdied the 12th, his third, to get back to even par.
Three birdies in a row from the seventh sent him flying up the leaderboard but while he made a double-bogey six at the ninth, a two-under 70 left him inside the projected cut mark on one-under.
He was eight strokes behind American Sean Crocker, who posted a four under 68 to open a two-stroke lead before play was suspended due to darkness.
Crocker mixed five birdies to lead from Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti, New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier, France’s Martin Couvra and England’s Jack Senior at seven under.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Australia’s Elvis Smylie are also in the group in a tie for second but are among a host of players still left to conclude their second rounds.
“I’m just working on my mental side of my game,”
Crocker said. “I think that's maybe what's let me down for the last eight years, so if I can get that in control, I think I can maybe keep doing what I'm doing.”
On the Epson Tour, Douglas’ Sara Byrne opened with a level par 72 in the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in California
The former Curtis Cup star made four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in the first group of the day to sit just inside the projected cut mark.
She was tied for 48th, seven strokes behind American Hailee Cooper, who shot a bogey-free 65 to lead by a shot from compatriot Riley Smyth and Mexico’s Maria Fassi.
Meanwhile, Royal Dublin Golf Club raised €120,000 at a corporate golf day to help Max Kennedy and Hugh Foley with their tour expenses.
Foley is playing the Alps Tour this year while Kennedy has a Challenge Tour card and partial status on the DP World Tour.
