At last, Leona Maguire found her stride in a major championship. After unsuccessful attempts at both the Chevron and the US Open, the 29-year-old golfer from Cavan thrust herself into the top ranks at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club, in the neighbourhoods of Seattle. She delivered an impressive two-under-par 70, making her just one stroke away from the leader, Nelly Korda.
Maguire teamed up with Celine Boutine of the Solheim Cup, Allisen Corpuz of America, and Akie Iwal of Japan, all of whom achieved scores of 70, keeping the competition heated.
Beginning her game on the 10th, Maguire hit off brilliantly with a birdie on her first hole, compensated for a bogey on the 13th with a birdie on the 14th, and scored a solid 35 by the halfway point. She impressively added more birdies on the first and fifth holes but dropped a shot on the seventh. Despite a tremendous tee shot to the par-three ninth that ended eight feet from the hole, she could not make the birdie putt to match Korda.
World number one, Korda, bounced back from two previous unsuccessful games, overcoming a double-bogey six on the fourth hole, her 13th, and impressively scored six birdies, including three consecutively from the 13th, capturing the lead.
Séamus Power responded to his previous missed cut in the US Open with a strong start in the opening round of the Travelers Championship on TPC Highlands in Connecticut. His round featured a commendable three-under-par 67, boasting five birdies and two bogeys.
Shane Lowry had a fluctuating first round, chalking up four birdies and three bogeys to finish with a 69.
The latest edition of the competition maintained the tradition of high scores, with Akshay Bhatia, Rickie Fowler, Kurt Kitayama and Will Zalatoris setting the bar at eight-under-par 64s. However, it was Tom Kim’s outstanding 63 that propelled him into the leading position.
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, is well positioned for his sixth victory of the season, after bouncing back from a disappointing tie for 41st at the US Open with a robust 65 in the opening round. He acknowledged an improvement in his swing this week, stating “I hit a series of satisfying shots which I attribute to adjustments made to my swing since last week”.
Meanwhile, on the DP World Tour, a strong opening round of 64 secured first round co-leadership for Mikko Korhonen of Finland and Italy’s Matteo Manassero. Among the Irish competitors, Tom McKibbin gave a solid performance, finishing the first round in shared 23rd position with a respectable score of 69.
At the OFX Irish Legends tournament held at Seapoint Golf Club in Termonfeckin, former British Open champion, Paul Lawrie – renowned for his 1999 Claret Jug triumph – and Swedish player Patrik Sjoland were equally matched, both carding five-under-par 67s during the first round. They find themselves one shot ahead of the Argentinian double Major winner, Angel Cabrera, and South Africa’s Keith Horne.