'I could have shot 10 under today' - Frustrated Leona Maguire left trailing red-hot Alexander at The K Club.
Casandra Alexander. Credit Mark Runnacles / LET
Leona Maguire failed to convert some brilliant golf into birdies and endured a poor finish to trail runaway leader Casandra Alexander by 13 shots at The K Club.
The Solheim Cup star needs a red-hot weekend to reel in the big-hitting South African, who added a 66 to her opening 63 to lead the KPMG Women's Irish Open by five strokes on 15-under par.
While the Co Cavan star played her opening 12 holes in three-under, she might have been six under and then bogeyed the 16th and dropped another shot at the last to card a 71 that left her in the middle of the pack on two-under.
"I probably left at least seven or eight shots out there today," lamented the Co Cavan star, whose nine-wood lay-up at the par-five 18th hopped left and only stayed out of the water by inches.
"I gave myself a lot of chances, which was nice, especially on the front nine. But I holed nothing."
Brilliant sunshine brought out a 6,200-strong crowd, but Maguire's putter remained ice-cold, and the 65 she needed to threaten the leaders never materialised.
"Obviously, today was prime conditions for shooting that sort of number, and I didn't take advantage of it," she said. "We'll see what we get over the weekend and just keep trying to give myself as many chances as I can."
The entire field has its work cut out to catch Order of Merit leader Alexander, who made two eagles and 14 birdies over the first two days to lead by five strokes in 15-under from Czechia's Sara Kouskova (66) and American Brianna Navarrosa (65).
"I knew someone was going to go really low," Maguire said of Alexander. "I'm not shocked it was her. I mean, she bombs it.
"She's probably hitting wedges into pretty much every hole around here.I felt like yesterday someone was going to shoot seven or eight under, and she shot nine or whatever she did.
"I'm walking off the course feeling like I could have shot 10 under today. So, it was out there for sure."
Leona Maguire of Ireland during the first round. Credit: Mark Runnacles/LET
Alexander is still looking for her first win of the season, having finished second six times, with five of those runner-up finishes coming on the LET.
Having opened with a 63, she would have been happy to follow it up with another score in the red before an electric start changed her mindset,
"My caddie said to me yesterday, if we could get two or three under, I think that would be pretty good," she said.
"Because your expectations go up once you're shot nine under, and I started eagle, birdie, birdie and I just looked at him and laughed. And he's like, 'Shut up, let's go to the next tee, let's carry on!'"
The South African sounded like a woman on a mission, determined to demolish the field.
"Consistency is key, I think, and I've shown that I have that, but I did say at the beginning of the week, if we are going to win, we're going to make sure we win by a few, because I'm not going to leave it up to chance."
While amateurs Kate Dillon (3-over) and Olivia Costello (4-over) shot fine 70s, six professionals in the 16-strong home contingent made the 60 players who survived the level-par cut.
Canice Screene, who has been playing on the second-tier LET Access Series, made seven birdies in a 67 that left her the best of the Irish, tied for eighth on five under.
Born in England to Galway and Mayo-born parents, she said: "It's always my favourite event of the year, and my family are here, so putting on a good show for them is my priority.
"But obviously it's a good opportunity for me to move up the LET Order of Merit and also just get confidence for going back on the Access next week."
Ennis' Aine Donegan shares 26th with Maguire on two-over after she had a slow day on the greens and shot 73.
Anna Foster (71) and Annabel Wilson (72) were a shot further back on one-under while Kildare's Lauren Walsh snuck in for the weekend on the cut line after carding a 70 alongside Alexander that included a closing double-bogey.
“I’ve still got a couple of years left at least” — Tom McKibbin committed to LIV 2.0
On the DP World Tour, it took 34 hours to complete the opening round of the weather-interrupted Husqvarna British Masters at the Belfry.
Tom McKibbin’s opening 68 left him x shots behind Marco Penge, who led on 11-under through 14 holes of his second round when play was suspended due to darkness.
The Newtownabbey golfer remains contracted to LIV Golf, but he’s unsure of his future on the breakaway circuit.
“I’ve still got a couple of years left at least,” McKibbin told The Herald. “There are obviously a lot of things to figure out and I know they are definitely trying their hardest.
“As far as I am concerned, I’ve got a couple of years left, but, at the same time, I am going to play as much as I can over here until the end of the year and then see what happens.
“I’m playing Ireland, Wentworth and France. Still undecided about the Dunhill, then Spain and India.”
At the HotelPlanner Tour’s Dormy Open in Sweden, Gary Hurley goes into the weekend tied for sixth on two-under, four shots behind leader Christofer Blomstrand.
Higgins progresses at Q-School
Meanwhile, Roscommon amateur Thomas Higgins was the only Irishman among the 19 qualifiers to survive the First Stage of the DP World Tour Q-School at The Players Club in Bristol, finishing tied 10th on one-under.
Portumna’s Sam Murphy missed out by a shot.
