As their respective US competitions reached the mid-point, Leona Maguire and Séamus Power began to make their presence felt. In her pursuit of her third LPGA Tour victory, Maguire demonstrated her prowess in the second round of the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship in Palos Verdes, California. After a brilliant round of 65 for 136, she is just two strokes behind midway front-runner and relative novice, Malia Nam, who is playing in just her second tournament.
The golfer from Cavan, having taken a break of two weeks following events in Asia, got off to a start with a 71 on the first day, then turned on the heat in the second round, with seven birdies and just one bogey, pushing her into a tie for fourth place on the leaderboard.
Reminiscing about her familiar experience with the course, Maguire shared, “It was a destination we would often visit during college, three or four times a year – although I had a complex relationship with it, of sorts. It’s a course that really challenges your tolerance levels.” She further added to this insight saying, “Learning to stay patient is something I’ve been focusing on since the beginning of the year, and this course necessitates that skill set, along with the course in Evian, France that poses similar difficulties. Specificity in deciding the targets is crucial due to the smaller greens. More greens hit promise more chances, so it’s really about waiting for the right opportunity.”
In the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship, seasoned player Stewart Cink – more often seen on the Champions Tour recently and last win seen in the 2021 Heritage tournament – tied for the halfway lead on a six-under-par 136 with four others. Power, who has consistently performed admirably since his comeback from a hip injury last season, ended the day strong with a consistent 69 for 137, getting him aplace with five others at the sixth spot, just one stroke adrift the group leading.
In the Singapore Classic, Shane Lowry fared exceptionally well, securing a six-under-par 66, which included an eagle on the 13th hole playing at Par 5, edging him within five strokes of leader, David Micheluzzi.