Maguire six back in Korea; Kearney returns; McElroy's slow start; Murphy teetering; Irish Seniors
Leona Maguire. Credit: Tristan Jones
Leona Maguire opened with a two-under 70 to lie six shots behind South Korea’a Na Rin An in the BMW Ladies Championship in Korea.
Needing a top six finish to have any chance of denying Patty Tavatanaki the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award, she was tied 27th after following nine pars with three birdies and a bogey on the back nine. Scores
Meanwhile, Niall Kearney returns to action after a frustrating month-long break looking to sew up his European Tour card in the Mallorca Golf Open.
Ranked 130th in the Race to Dubai with only the top 123 guaranteed full cards next season, the Dubliner (33) has a chance to round off a great season with just three events of the campaign remaining.
With his schedule uncertain, he’s joined at Golf Santa Ponsa by Jonathan Caldwell, Cormac Sharvin, Gavin Moynihan and Paul Dunne looking to make up for lost time.
On the Challenge Tour, John Murphy faces a nervous wait after a five-over 76 left him perched on the cut line in the weather-delayed Challenge Costa Brava at Empordà Golf.
The Kinsale star (23), who likely needs a top-three finish to qualify for next month’s Challenge Tour Grand Final, was tied 60th on two-over, 12 strokes behind Portugal’s Ricard Gouveia with Michael Hoey 27th on one-under after a 71.
On the PGA Tour, Olympic champion Xander Schauffele returns to Japan for the first time since winning gold with his sights set on the Zozo Championship and his first PGA Tour for 33 months.
Meanwhile, Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy is tied for 43rd after opening with a four-over 76 in the Europro Tour’s Matchroom Tour Championship at Slaley Hall.
Ranked fifth in the Order of Merit with the top five after tomorrow’s final round earning strong Challenge Tour status next season, McElroy is nine behind Scotland’s Jack McDonald, whose five under 67 gave him a one-shot lead over William Harrold, Curtis Knipes, Dan Brown and David Wicks.
While those in the top 15 in the Order of Merit have a chance to pick up some sort of Challenge Tour status, McElroy is vulnerable in fifth place to the likes of sixth ranked Joe Dean in the Order of Merit.
Dean is tied for sixth at Slaley Hall after opening with a three-under 69.
In the Irish Senior Men's Amateur Open, England’s Stuart Brown recovered from bogeys at the second and 12th by making three birdies in a row from the 13th to open with a one-under 72 at Donegal’s Murvagh.
He leads by just one stroke from Castlerock’s David Mulholland, this year’s Senior Amateur Championship runner-up at Ganton, with Scot Derek Paton third after a 75.
