Thats four missed cuts in her last five LPGA Tour starts for Leona Maguire as her tough run continues after she missed out on the final round at the Shoprite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey.
The Cavan woman looked to have arrested her recent slide when she not only made the cut at last week’s US Open but went on to secure her first top-10 finish at the Major at Pine Needles Lodge, but she crashed back down to earth at Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club.
After a two-over 73 in round one left her scrambling to stick around for Sunday, a second consecutive round of 73 would end any hopes of her doing so as she fell to four-over-par for the week, four shots off the eventual cut line.
It was an early double-bogey that killed Maguire’s chances, the 27-year-old posting a six at the par-four second, and even though she immediately bounced back with a birdie at her next hole, the par-five third, it was already too little, too late.
A bogey at the par-three seventh extinguished any small hope she still had, though she would finish with something positive to take from the week as she played her final nine in level-par, cancelling out a bogey at the par-three 15th with a birdie at the par-four 16th.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s Frida Kinhult will take a one-shot lead into the final round as she tries to close out her first LPGA Tour victory in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon.
The 22-year-old backed up Friday’s 66 with a bogey-free four-under 67 to sit clear at the top at nine-under-par, although she is being chased down by a strong leaderboard, led by Lauren Coughlin, whose flawless six-under 65 moved her up to eight-under.
In-form Swiss star Morgane Metraux is in a strong position, too, rounds of 68 and 67 taking her to seven-under and into a share of third alongside England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff, while New Zealand’s Lydia Ko matched Coughlin’s 65 in her second round to position herself nicely at six-under-par.
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