After a clumsy three-putt bogey from the back fringe on the 10th, the last thing Leona Maguire would have wanted to be facing into was a near 60 minute wait on the eleventh tee but what transpired was excellent golf to keep herself in the mix at the AIG Women’s Open.
Maguire was two-over for her round at that stage having opened her account at St Andrews with back-to-back bogeys before bouncing back with a birdie on the fourth. After waiting nearly an hour on the par-3 11th tee, the Cavan woman drilled her shot into the heart of the green for a par.
She followed that with a birdie on the par-5 14th before crucial par saves on 15, 16 and 17 ensured she remained on her feet in the strong winds and signed for a 73 to leave herself six shots adrift of Charley Hull.
The winds were so strong that the first hole, usually a drive and a wedge played driver, three-wood for Maguire with some players unable to clear the burn short of the green on their approach.
“I thought it was a very solid round. I think conditions were extremely tough, especially on those first few holes. It was slightly different wind. Played really long and really tough those first few holes. Hit 3-wood into the first green, which we’ve been hitting wedges and 8-irons all week,” said Maguire who has missed three of four major cuts so far this season.
“It was a bit of a grind on the front nine. We got a little bit of a backup on 11. We nearly waited like an hour on 11 tee, so standing up and hitting the green there felt like was a really good shot.
“Nice to get a birdie coming in on 14 and some good pars just on 15 and 16, really good par on 17. 17 was playing really tough today, almost like a par-4 and a half. Nice to get a par there. Overall pretty solid round.”
Play was backed up for large periods due to the high winds meaning the afternoon tee times ran late which ultimately caused a log jam on the 11th tee.
“They started doing the call-up on 11; meanwhile there was six groups on that tee. I could have come a bit earlier. But it is what it is. Ultimately the first few holes it was trying to stand while you’re hitting your shot and you’re getting buffeted all over the place. Just trying to wait for somewhat of a smaller gust and pick your target and accept that it’s going to move 30, 40 yards in the air.”
Englishwoman Hull ran Lilia Vu close when she was runner-up at last year’s Open and she will be hoping she can go one better this time around after a superb five-under 67 catapulted her into the outright lead.
A marquee group of Hull, Nelly Korda and Vu did not disappoint with the trio playing some remarkable golf in fierce conditions as they went around in a combined twelve-under-par.
World number ten, Hull, came home in 32 with birdies on 10, 12, 15 and 18 which edged her one ahead of Korda who had joined her at the top moments earlier with a closing birdie of her own.
“Yeah, it was loads of fun out there today,” said Hull who has top-8 finishes in all of the majors.
“Actually before my round I was in there watching it on the TV when I saw the scores, and I thought, how is she 4-under par; that was an unbelievable score. I’d take that now because it was gusting a lot on the range, and I said to my coach, feels like they could call it at any minute because I don’t know how the balls are staying on the greens.
“To go out there, shoot 5-under, play pretty solid, it was a lot of fun.”
Making her first professional start in a major championship, Lauren Walsh battled hard with two birdies on her back nine to chisel out a respectable opening round of 75 to leave her in a share of 63rd place on three-over, two ahead of Stephanie Meadow.
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