Ladies European Tour: Leona Maguire in contention on home soil at KPMG Women’s Irish Open

Home favourite Leona Maguire is within two shots of a three-way tie for the lead after the opening round of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.

The Solheim Cup star carded three birdies in a bogey-free 70 on the par-73 layout at Carton House to sit in the group tied-seventh, as Alessandra Fanali, Ursula Wikstrom and Luna Sobron Galmes set the early pace.

Maguire opened with a two-putt birdie at the par-five first and took advantage of the par-five sixth to reach the turn in 35, then ended a run of pars by birdieing the par-five 17th to close out a blemish-free start.

“It was a steady day, I gave myself a lot of chances,” Maguire said. “Particularly on the front nine, I felt like I could have been seven under through the front nine if I would have holed a few putts. Anytime bogey-free three-under is never a bad way to start.

“Front nine was playing downwind quite a bit on those opening few holes and the opening par-fives are a really good chance to start off with. There’s plenty of birdie chances out there, it’s just taking advantage of them.”

Fanali birdied four of her first six holes and then cancelled out a bogey at the eighth by picking up shots at the 11th and 13th, seeing her set the initial clubhouse target, while Wikstrom birdied six of the opening 12 holes and held the outright lead until a final-hole bogey.

Sobron mixed six birdies with a lone bogey late in the day to make it a three-way tie at the top, with French duo Pauline Roussin-Bouchard and Agathe Sauzon a shot off the pace alongside Germany’s Carolin Kauffmann.

“I played very good,” Sobron said. “I hit all of the greens. The first nine holes was really good, I made a lot of putts. I feel a lot of confidence in my game. I’m having a good year, I have confidence, I just need to be patient. In any moment, the good rounds will come.”

England’s Georgia Hall – who earned a captain’s pick for Team Europe’s Solheim Cup team – is five shots off the pace after level-par 73.

Watch the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and the LPGA Tour’s FM Championship live this week on Sky Sports, along with the Curtis Cup, ahead of the Solheim Cup taking place from September 13-15 live on Sky Sports Golf.

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