Leona Maguire’s quick start to The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club has the 30-year-old three strokes off the lead in a share of fourth as the past ANNIKA Award winner posted a three-under-par 67.
With The ANNIKA being the penultimate event of the 2025 season, Maguire will need a strong finish if she is to stay inside the top 60 of the Race to the CME Globe rankings to tee off at the Tour Championship. Maguire currently sits 56th in the rankings, but a quick start in Florida has boosted confidence.
“(I’m) trying to finish as strong as possible, try and get myself into this week, and to have a go at next week as well. Just trying to put some solid rounds together,” Maguire said.
“Did some good work with my coach last week. He came over from Ireland. We were in Orlando last week, so did some good work there. He hasn’t seen me play in a while, so he got to see me play today, which was quite nice,” she added.
Maguire, who took home the prestigious collegiate honor twice in 2015 and 2017 during her time at Duke University, began her day with a bogey on the par-3 third before quickly cancelling it out with a birdie on the fourth.
Maguire would repeat that scoring on the seventh and eighth to take the turn at even-par. Needing something fast around the breezy Pelican Golf Club, Maguire found form the back nine and started quickly with a birdie at the par-4 11th.
Maguire went on to add another at the par-4 13th. Maguire’s best of the day came at the par-3 15th as the Cavan native stuck one close from the tee box.
Playing with a sponsor exemption is Donald Trump’s neice, Kai Trump but it wasn’t the start she needed as the 18-year-old amateur sits last in the 108-player field.
The high-school senior bogeyed the first four holes and finished with nine bogeys and two double bogeys to post a 13-over-par round.
“I was definitely more nervous than I expected, but I thought I hit a lot of great shots out there,” said Trump. “I hit a lot of good shots just to the wrong spots,” she added.
Leading the pack by one stroke is South Korea’s Haeran Ryu as the 24-year-old closed out her back nine with four straight birdies to post a six-under-par 64.
“My shot is good and putter is good and everything,” Ryu said. “I’m so happy to make a lot of birdies.”
Grace Kim of Australia was second after a five-under-par 65.
“I knew that wind was going to be up a little bit, and knowing this course is generally on the tougher side, I just kind of just played my own game.” Kim said. “I didn’t focus too much on a specific score as such. Made a few putts, which was nice.”
USA’s Jennifer Kupcho occupies solo third at four-under-par.
Defending champion Nelly Korda opened with a 71. She had 17 pars and a bogey on the par-4 ninth. Korda won the tournament last year to become the first player in 13 years to win seven times in a season, but she is yet to win this year.
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