Maguire looking for fast start as she seeks winning end to 2022 in Spanish Open
Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open D'Espana, Alferini Golf, Benhavis, Spain. Leona Maguire. Credit: Tristan Jones / LET
Leona Maguire hopes a fast start will put her in a position to attack on the back nine and round off a sensational season with a win in the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España.
The Co Cavan star, who will celebrate her 28th birthday next Wednesday, heads into the final round tied for second at Aferini Golf, just two shots behind Switzerland's Morgane Metraux.
"It was pretty steady," said the world number 11, whose three-under 70 leaves her tied with Sweden's Caroline Hedwall and Spanish amateur Cayetana Fernandez pm 12-under.
"I didn't really hole any putts. I left myself above the hole a lot which made it quite tricky. I'm two shots back. I will just try and post a low round tomorrow and see what happens."
Maguire won on the LPGA Tour in February, but she'd love to round off a career-best season with her first win on the Ladies European Tour.
"I think you have to keep it tight through the first few holes and then there's some chances on the back nine," she said of her game plan for Sunday.
"Hopefully, I'll get off to a little bit of a quick start tomorrow and then take advantage of the shorter holes on the back nine."
Metraux (25) fired six-under 67 to lead by two shots on 14-under from Maguire, Hedwall and Fernandez with defending champion Carlota Ciganda only three shots back in outright fifth after a 68.
Race to the Costa del Sol leader, Sweden's Linn Grant, is tied for sixth after a 74 and must tie or finish above Maja Stark to win the Order of Merit.
Stark is just a shot behind Grant, tied ninth on eight-under after a 73.
At the DP World Tour's Joburg Open, England's Dan Bradbury stayed on course for what could be a life-changing victory as he came through Saturday's third round of the Joburg Open with a one-stroke lead at Houghton Golf Club.
The beneficiary of a sponsor's invitation, Bradbury signed for a 67 to retain the lead on 17-under-par.
He currently has no status on any tour anywhere in the world, and his plan after this was to play the mini-tours. But a win on Sunday would secure him DP World Tour membership and a place in next year's Open.
The Yorkshireman leads by one stroke from Finland's Sami Valimaki, who shot 66, and by two from South Africa's Daniel Van Tonder, who shot 67.
Holywood's Tom McKibbin went into the third round tied for 11th after picking up two birdies in the last eight holes of his weather-delayed second round.
His four-under 67 left him six shots behind Bradbury on seven-under and only four shots outside the top three in the race to qualify for The Open.
But he suffered a rollercoaster third round and after getting to nine-under through 11 holes, he played his last eight in five-over and carded a costly, three-over 74 that saw him slip to tied 29th on four-under.
Meanwhile, Open champion Cameron Smith leads the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship by three shots after posting a two-under-par 69 in the third round at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
The Australian—one of the biggest names to sign for LIV Golf this summer— carded six birdies and four bogeys on Saturday to head into the final round on 11 under par, with Japan's Masahiro Kawamura and China's Liu Yan Wei his nearest challengers on eight under.
"I'd like to be six or seven ahead, to be honest, but it's a good spot to be in," Smith said.
"My big thing down here was to have a really big crack at the Aussie Open. I haven't won one of those yet and I think that would be a really good end to a really good year. I'll be trying my best tomorrow still.”
