Amateur Aine Donegan tees off on the fourth hole during the first round of the 2023 U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. on Thursday, July 6, 2023. (Darren Carroll/USGA)

Leona Maguire roared back from her KPMG Women's PGA disappointment and joined Lahinch amateur Áine Donegan in contention for the $11 million US Women's Open at Pebble Beach.

Just over a week after shooting a 74 that reportedly left her “distraught" at Baltusrol, when she missed the chance to become the first Irishwoman to win a major, the Co Cavan battler birdied two of her last four holes and carded a three-under 69 to join Ennis native Donegan (21) in a six-way tie for third place, just one shot behind pacesetters Xiyu Lin of China and South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim.

Scores

Louisiana State University qualifier Donegan was the early fairytale story, recovering from two opening bogeys by firing an eagle two and five birdies in her 69, having had to wait until Tuesday to be reunited with her clubs.

She only discovered she'd have to use a replacement driver on Tuesday after her own was broken in transit.

But she wisely decided to stick with the new model and two other new clubs provided by PING and missed just two fairways while also leading the field for strokes gained approach.

The pressure was on Maguire to match her countrywoman just 11 days after she went from the 54-hole lead to tied 11th in the KPMG Women's PGA at Baltusrol.

And she showed she's ready to contend for a Major again as she made five birdies and two bogeys in her 69 to share third place with Donegan, Korea's Hae Ran Ryu, Japan's Nasa Hataoka, and American pair Bailey Tardy and Allisen Corpuz.

Golf Channel's Tom Abbott said in a commentary he spotted Maguire in the car park after her Baltusrol disappointment, and she looked "just distraught" not to have taken the chance to become the first Irishwoman to win a major.

Later, Maguire (28) admitted it didn't take her long to get over her disappointment.

"Yeah, I think a day," the world number 10 said after mixing bogeys at the first and 11th with birdies at the fourth, fifth, 10th, 15th, and 18th.

"It's golf. These things happen. I think you have to get on with things pretty quickly, dust yourself off. Still, a fantastic week, even if Sunday didn't go my way.

"I think when you've got another major coming up as quick as this was and at somewhere like Pebble, I think your focus shifts pretty quickly. Looking forward to another opportunity this week, hopefully."

She three-putted the first from 35 feet but stitched her approach to 18 inches at the fourth before making a slick 26-footer for a two from just off the green at the par-three fifth.

She then made an eight-footer at the 10th and followed a bogey at the 11th with a sand save from eight feet at the 12th.

She would also birdie the 15th after a 113-yard wedge to two feet at the 15th, and after making further par saves at the 16th and 17th, she got up and down from 117 yards for a closing birdie four at the 18th.

"Yeah, played really solid all day," Maguire said. "Hit a lot of fairways, which was key out there, I feel like. Missed a few greens but made some really nice up-and-downs when I needed to keep the momentum going. Always nice to finish with two birdies in the last four."

Like the rest of the field, she's thrilled to be at an iconic venue like Pebble Beach, where she missed just one fairway on Thursday.

"Yeah, it's an incredible venue," she said. "I know pretty much all of us have been looking forward to this for a long time. It's one that's been circled on the calendar. Yeah, it's one of those bucket list courses for a lot of people.

"I suppose today felt a little bit like home with the weather and all of that, but no, very grateful to be here. It's a special place, and to play well is just a bonus."

Out again at 4.39 pm Irish time today, she added: "Yeah, I think more the same as today. Staying really patient, trying to hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens is going to be the key all week.

"It was a pretty long day out there today, so get dinner and go to bed pretty early and get ready to do it -- pretty quick turnaround again tomorrow."

Donegan was equally impressive in cool conditions more akin to Lahinch than California but showed remarkable composure to overcome her travel problems and club woes to also shoot 69 on her major debut.

After dropping those two early shots, he got up and down for pars at the 12th and 13th before holing out from 96 yards for an eagle two at the 15th, her sixth hole.

She didn't look back from there, and while she bogeyed the first, she made four putts between eight and 15 feet in a five-hole spell, rolling in birdies at the second, third, fourth and sixth before closing with a three-putt bogey from 40 feet at the ninth.

"A bit surreal," Donegan said of her day. "Up and down at the start off but brought it back and made two good pars on my third and fourth holes and then holed out for eagle from about 96 yards on my sixth hole of the day which was nice.

"So I had a bit of a rough start, but I just kept with it, and then everything started to go in my favour on the back nine, and I got more comfortable and finished pretty strong, so I'm happy with it."

It took her 30 hours to fly from the Vagliano Trophy in Scotland to San Francisco via Dublin and Newark, but despite not getting her clubs on arrival and then discovering when they arrived on Tuesday that her driver had been smashed in transit, she was distracted by practice rounds with Lexi Thompson and Annika Sorenstam on Monday and Tuesday.

Pinch me moments 🤗 #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/1ERTGgzamE
— U.S. Women's Open (USGA) (@uswomensopen) July 6, 2023

"So I was travelling about 30 hours at least to then find that my clubs weren't there, so it had been annoying and stuff," Donegan said.

"I played the first practice round with Lexi (Thompson) with clubs that didn't belong to me.

"Scott, the PING rep, gave me them for the day, and I was hitting the driver quite well. I remember I said it on probably the 16th hole; I said just to my caddie (Glenlo Abbey professional Gary Madden), I might keep this driver. And Lexi said, 'I think that'd be a good idea'.

"Then the next day, the club arrived, and the driver was broken. So I had no choice but to keep the driver, and I threw the new PING three wood and hybrid into the bag as well. And then I played a practice round with Annika, which was amazing, 18 holes with her.

A 3-under 69 opening round has Aine currently sitting tied for second with the final groups approaching the final holes. Check out what Aine had to say after a strong day one!

recap » https://t.co/bQmQLNlTgp
📺 @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/C2VvXU10eY
— LSU Women's Golf (@LSUWomensGolf) July 7, 2023

"And then with Maria Fassi, the last day on Wednesday before today. So I had nice people to play in the practice round with, pretty big names so that almost distracted me from the whole thing. I think honestly to my benefit."

She has a big travelling support at Pebble Beach with her family in tow, but she was also amused to see someone had written GO DONEGAN in the sand near the ninth green.

"I have no idea (who did it)," beamed the Ennis star, who goes off in her second round at 9.18 pm Irish time today.

"There's a lot of Irish up around this area in the United States. I know a lot of Irish people in San Francisco, and even people my age are overworking for the summer.

"I don't know who wrote that. I have to find out. That's so funny.”