Maguire makes ace to share Evian Championship lead with 65
Leona Maguire of Ireland during the first round. Credit: Mark Runnacles/LET
Leona Maguire made the first ace of her LPGA career and fired a six-under 65 to grab a share of the first-round lead in the Amundi Evian Championship in France.
Bidding of her first major win less than a week after finishing 21 shots behind amateur Lottie Woad in the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, the Cavan star (30) was close to her best at Evian Resort.
“We had really tough conditions at the Irish Open in the wind and stuff last week, so it was a nice break from that to have a pretty flat, calm morning this morning,” said Maguire, who ended the day in a five-way tie for the lead with Australians Gabriela Ruffels and Grace Kim and American duo Jennifer Kupcho and Andrea Lee, a shot clear of three-time major winner Minjee Lee.
She made her hole-in-one at the 168-yard, downhill second (her 11th), holing out with an eight-iron.
“It was just a really nice shot,” said Maguire, who made an ace on the LPGA’s second-tier Epson Tour in 2018. “Looked good all the way. Then nice to be able to walk down this hill without a putter in your hand.”
Maguire showed form in the recent KPMG Women’s PGA and feels good about her came at a course where she shot 61 to tie for sixth in 2021.
Relieved to have fewer commitments than she had at Carton House, she added: “It almost seems like a little mini break to come here. So it's nice to have a bit of a quieter week this week being a major.
“But it's one of my favourite stops on Tour. I really like coming here. So I’m looking forward to three more days.”
She was exhausted at Carton House but spared the pro-am for the first time in “four or five years” she was able to prepare her own way and save energy.
“Just played really nice," said Maguire, who is playing her fifth event in a row.
"Hit a lot of fairways. Hit a lot of greens. Gave myself some really good chances sort of 11, 12, 13 to start the day. Yeah, pretty stress-free as it can be around here.
“Obviously, the hole-in-one on two was pretty special. I think my first one on the LPGA, so a nice place to do it."
The ace put her five under for the day and came with the added bonus of a donation to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital on her behalf.
"It was just taking a little bit off an eight-iron for me," she said of her ace at the downhill second.
"Looked good in the air. You're never sure on that hole until the ball actually lands. Sort of a perfect morning for it. Not much wind, which is nice, especially on that tee box. Yeah, pretty good highlight to the day.
"The pin was in this little back right bowl. You don't want to go over, but at the same time, it does land pretty soft hitting from like 30 yards down from there.
"Overall, it was just a really nice shot. Looked good all the way. Then nice to be able to walk down this hill without a putter in your hand."
It's been a difficult season for Maguire, who has fallen from 47th to 85th in the world rankings this year and recorded just one top 10 finish since she won the LET's Aramco Team Series-London 12 months ago.
While she finished a jaded 21 strokes behind amateur Lottie Woad at last week's Women's Irish Open, she's found this week's major test far less demanding in terms of commitments and weather conditions.
"The home support was incredible last week," Maguire said. "A lot of people out there to brave the wind and the rain and all of that.
“That's almost like a mini major to me, so it's very good preparation, the whole sort of environment of that, the intensity of that.
"And then it almost seems like a little mini break to come here. So it's nice to have a bit of a quieter week this week being a major, but it's one of my favourite stops on Tour. I really like coming here. Yeah, looking forward to three more days."
Maguire said patience was key to her low opening round, though she felt she could have gone lower.
"I feel like I left a few out there today," she said. "Would've been nice to hole a few more putts, so work on that that afternoon. And then it was an early start this morning. It was half four alarm, so maybe a little nap and we'll get ready to go again.
"I think with Irish Open last week and everything being so busy, this is week five in a row for me, so it was nice knowing what I was coming to and sort of no panic trying to play a lot of practice rounds."
