Leona Maguire lurking just two back as she bids to reign in Spain
Leona Maguire of Europe during the second round25/11/2022. Ladies European Tour 2022. Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open D'Espana, Alferini Golf, Benhavis, Spain. Leona Maguire of Europe during the second round. Credit: Tristan Jones / LET
LEONA MAGUIRE is lurking just two shots behind local amateur Cayetana Fernandez at halfway as she bids to cap a magnificent season with victory in the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España.
Spanish star Fernandez (17) fired eight birdies in a spectacular, bogey-free 65 at Alferini Golf in Malaga to lead by one stroke from Race to Costa del Sol leader Linn Grant of Sweden on 11-under par.
Grant shot a bogey-free, five-under 68 to sit alone in second, but world number 11 Maguire will join them in the final group today after making four birdies in a bogey-free 69 to get to nine-under.
The Co Cavan star is enjoying the best season of his professional career, having won on the LPGA Tour for the first time in February.
While she missed five cuts, she also racked up another eight top-10 finishes, which included a tie for eighth in the US Women's Open and a tie for fourth in the AIG Women's Open before she claimed her second runner-up finish of the season in the LPGA's CME Group Tour Championship last Sunday.
"It's been an incredible year," Maguire said on her arrival in Malaga. "It's been my best season so far, and I've gotten better every year."
Four players are tied for fourth on eight-under-par with Swedish duo Maja Stark and Caroline Hedwall alongside Switzerland's Morgane Metraux and England's Cara Gainer.
Stark, who lies second to Grant in the Race to Costa del Sol, must finish ahead of her rival to claim the season-long race, but she was frustrated to bogey the last.
"I'm a little bit disappointed; it was pretty much exactly like yesterday," said the five-time LET winner. "It's a good thing that I'm frustrated with four-under because if I was happy, then I think I'd settle, but I'm ready for the chase this weekend."
Leader Fernandez, who was part of the triumphant European team at the 2021 PING Junior Solheim Cup, was thrilled with her day.
"I played an amazing round today," the teenager said. "I made a lot of putts, and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm very happy, and I'm glad to be here and tomorrow, I hope to continue playing like this and I hope to get in the last group on the last day."
It was also a good day for another teenager on the DP World Tour as Holywood's Tom McKibbin (19) moved to five-under with eight holes of his second round to complete at the weather-delayed Joburg Open.
The Newtownabbey rookie has his work cut out to win a spot in The Open after he sandwiched eight straight pars between birdies at the 10th and the first before play was suspended for fading light after another day interrupted by electrical storms at Houghton GC.
He's tied for 18th, eight strokes behind Yorkshireman Dan Bradbury, who added a 66 to his opening 64 to lead in the clubhouse on 13-under.
The top three players who make the cut, not already exempt, will be awarded places in the 151st Open at Hoylake in July, but John Murphy will have to find another route.
The Kinsale man (24) completed a three-under 68 in the morning before posting a 76 that left him well outside the projected cut-line on two-over.
Meanwhile, 15-time major champion, Tiger Woods will partner his son Charlie (13) in the PNC Championship in Florida from December 16-18.
"We have been looking forward to this week all year and we can't wait to team up together for our third PNC Championship,” said Woods, who returns to action for the first time since The Open when he hosts a star-studded field that also features Shane Lowry at next week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
“This is such a special opportunity as a dad to get to compete with my son against so many golfing greats and their family members. It is going to be a very special week and I know that Charlie and I will have a blast."
Pádraig Harrington and his son Paddy (19) will join Team Woods, who finished seventh behind John Daly and John Daly II last year, at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando.
