Leona seven behind leaders in Saudi Arabia
Leona Maguire's yardage book holder. Picture: Brian Arthur
LEONA MAGUIRE's one-under 71 left her seven strokes behind world number one Lydia Ko and Thailand's Pajaree Anannarukarn in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
The $5 million Ladies European Tour event is sponsored by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which bankrolls the upstart LIV Golf League and Ko and Anannarukarn made light work of blustery conditions to head a strong field by one stroke.
Chasing vital Solheim Cup qualifying points ahead of back-to-back LPGA starts in Thailand and Singapore, Maguire was tied 40th at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club with Stephanie Meadow 108th after a 77.
Meadow holed her second shot for eagle at the 402-yard 15th to get back to three-over but double-bogeyed the par-three 16th.
On the DP World Tour, Kinsale's John Murphy opened with a two-under 70 to lead the Irish challenge in the Thailand Classic at Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok.
The former Walker Cup star (24) was tied for 53rd, six strokes behind Denmark's Martin Simonsen and Finland's Sami Välimäki, who carded eight under par 64 to lead by one stroke from German pair of Alexander Knappe and Yannik Paul.
Holywood's Tom McKibbin and West Waterford's Gary Hurley posted one-under 71s to lie joint 70th.
On the Challenge Tour, Portmarnock's Conor Purcell looked set to challenge the leaders in the SDC Open at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa when he made seven birdies and two bogeys in his first 15 holes.
But the Dubliner (25), who is sixth in the Road to Mallorca standings after back-to-back top-10 finishes, bogeyed the seventh and triple-bogeyed the par-three eighth en route to a 71 that left him tied 75th as Ruaidhri McGee posted a disappointing 74.
Purcell was nine strokes behind South Africa's JJ Senekal, who blasted a 10-under par 62 to lead by two shots from compatriot Martin Vorster, the 2019 East of Ireland Amateur champion at County Louth.
In amateur golf, Galgorm Castle's Joshua Hill closed with a four-under 68 to finish second, six shots behind France's Martin Couvra on nine-under in the South African Stroke Play Championship at Mount Edgecombe.
Malone's Matthew McClean tied for eighth on three-under after a 72.
