The moving day charge never materialised, as Leona Maguire’s quest for the title stalled in a third round of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open over the O’Meara course at Carton House – a 72 for a 54-holes total of five-under-par 214 – which left the Solheim Cup star in tied-27th and some way adrift of those with genuine eyes on the €60,000 winner’s cheque.
As England’s Annabel Dimmock – who suffered a wrist injury which hampered her for much of last season and led to necessary surgery in January – moved impressively to the top of the leader board in glorious conditions at the Fairmont resort in Co Kildare, Maguire and fellow Solheim Cup player Georgia Hall finished the third round locked together well off the pace as they seek to find a final round momentum to take with them to the Solheim Cup in Virginia in a fortnight.
Dimmock, whose mother Louise is from Cork, shot a course record 65 for a 16-under-par total of 203 which gave the 27-year-old a two strokes lead through 54-holes over Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom with Italy’s Alessandra Fanali and Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes tied in third, two shots further adrift.
Putting, once again, was the source of Maguire’s frustration.
“I don’t think it’s a million miles away. I feel like I am hitting nice putts, a lot of them are burning edges. I have next week to figure that out, it’s something minor. The rest of my game is in as good a shape as it has been for a number of months,” insisted the 29-year-old Cavan golfer who will be playing in her third Solheim.
Unfortunately, the bid to add an Irish Open to an impressive career CV which includes multiple wins on the LPGA Tour and a breakthrough win on the LET earlier this season in the Aramco London would appear to remain elusive.
The crowd’s reaction to her final putt of the round, a par on the 18th, only served to show the love sent in her direction. Those in the grandstand, the corporate hospitality and those packed around the final green showed their appreciation, which was reciprocated by the player.
“The crowds were fantastic and I wanted to give them something to cheer about but it wasn’t quite there,” said Maguire, adding: “I haven’t done much wrong this week, just haven’t done enough right! Coming out of the wind the last two weeks (at the Scottish Open and the AIG Open), I feel I have adjusted with my long game really well, just putting hasn’t been there. I’ll go out (Sunday), shoot as low as I possibly can. I do feel there is a low one out there ... it’s going to take an incredibly low one (to get back in contention). There’s no reason why not, we’ll try and go out and try and go as low as I can.”
Importantly, Maguire is not concerned about bringing any putting worries with her on the plan to Virigina.
As she put it: “It’s been a big four week stretch with the Olympics and getting battered in the rain in Scotland so I’ll take it easy for a couple of days and a bit of fine tuning before Solheim. We fly out Sunday lunchtime and there is still a lot of build up before Friday comes along at Solheim Cups, so sort of time to fine tune. No panic stations.
“Solheim Cup is about holing putts and playing well in those pressure moments so try and give myself some momentum (in the final round.”
Dimmock, in only her eighth event back since successful wrist surgery, is ranked 435th in the world but that is an entirely false standing given her issues with injury – not alone the wrist, but also a neck problem – but her return to full health has blossomed on the O’Meara course where her brilliant 65 in the third round (a bogey-free round of eight birdies) was magnificently crafted and set her on course for a second career win on the LET, her only win arriving early in here career at the Jabra Ladies Open in 2019.
Dublin teenager Anna Abom returns to school on Monday for her Leaving Cert year, but the 18-year-old is certainly furthering her golfing education among the professionals. A third round 78 for two-over-par 221 in tied-60th.
