Maguire finding her feet after quick start at Canberra Classic

Leona Maguire looks to be playing her way into form after firing a two-under par 69 on day one of the ActewAGL Canberra Classic.

 Leona Maguire / Image from Getty Images
The Cavan professional, who made an encouraging start to life on Tour with a top-20 finish at the Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville last week, carded three birdies and a single bogey in a solid opening effort that sits her in a share of 21st heading into day two.
 
Maguire arrived early this week to get some practice in at the challenging Royal Canberra layout and it looks to have done the trick with the former world amateur number one just four shots off the lead.
 
“It seems like a really nice course with a mixture of tight holes and some which are a little bit wider,” she said on Thursday. “The greens are rolling really nice. I struggled a bit with reading the greens and getting the pace last week. I think these greens are going to be rolling fast and well, so I’m looking forward to it. 
 
“I’d say there’ll be a premium on hitting good iron shots and staying below the pin because there will be some really quick putts out there.”
 
Having traded Cavan for Canberra at the end of January, her Australian swing is quickly coming to an end with Maguire now hoping to finish her month on a high after a lively start to her Ladies European Tour career.
 
“It’s hard to believe it’s my fourth week here in Australia, it seems to have flown by. I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m glad I managed to see a few kangaroos on Emerald Beach and now a few more on the course here.
 
“I was happy enough with last week but I would have liked to have finished better on the last day. I got myself into a nice position after the third day. It was a decent start and now I’m looking forward to kicking on.”
 
American Amelia Lewis is the first round leader after a flawless opening round on Friday.
 
The 28-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida, carded a six-under 65 at Royal Canberra to take a one-shot lead over Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, Finland’s Noora Komulainen (below) and Manon de Roey from Belgium.
 
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