Leona Maguire has made a strong start to the season ending CME Group Tour Championship as she looks to end a disappointing campaign on a high at Tiburón Golf Club.
Maguire carded a three-under 69 to lie just inside the top-20 and five shots off the early lead held by Narin An who soared to the top to lead by the minimum.
The Cavan woman had an uneventful front nine with one birdie and one bogey but she found some momentum heading to the clubhouse and she rolled in birdies on the 10th, 14th and 17th as she chases the $4 million winner’s cheque.
In her second start at the CME Group Tour Championship, An shot one of the lowest rounds of her career, an eight-under 64, to take the first-round lead.
During her bogey-free round, An carded eight birdies, the most in the field on day one, and hit every fairway. An, who has yet to earn her breakthrough victory on the LPGA Tour, now holds a first-round lead for just the second time in her career, with $4 million up for grabs if she can maintain the position through the rest of the week in Naples.
During the round, An made four birdies on the front nine (Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 9) and four on the back, including a three-hole streak of birdies on Nos. 11 through 13 and a finishing birdie on 17. She needed just 23 putts to get through the day, tied for lowest in the field, with 10 one-putts and a long putt from off the green on the 11th.
“Today my putt was really good. The speed was good, and the shape was good, so yeah, I was just try to make to focus a little bit more. I played well today,” said An of her first round. When asked how she felt playing for $4 million, she answered, “It’s about the same with the different tournaments. I mean, just tournament is tournament for me. I just do my best.”
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