Leona hits back with gutsy back nine

GOLD WOMEN'S IRISH OPEN:The Maguire twins do the amateur ranks proud at Killeen Castle yesterday, writes Johnny Watterson

WITH EIGHT Irish players in the field, three of them Curtis Cup amateurs, it came as little surprise that the understated demeanour and walloping ability of 15-year-olds Leona and Lisa Maguire would have them placed within touching distance of the leaders and just one shot behind Irish professional Rebecca Coakley.

Coakley placed herself in a group at one under par, with the Maguires just a shot behind on even par 72s. Sweden’s Maria Hjorth leads the field at five under. While Coakley played a well-paced round of three bogeys and four birdies, Leona went through 10 holes in four over par before lifting herself with a back-nine recovery that would have been impressive for a player far beyond her age and experience, let alone a teenager going into Transition Year in September.

Shooting a double bogey on the first hole, the 10th, was an excruciating start for the Cavan girl. While she steadied with a string of pars, another two dropped shots could so easily have derailed a less stoic spirit.

But Maguire fired in four birdies in the last eight holes, the last one a stitched iron to tap-in distance on the par-three eighth. It gave her a finishing 33 to add to her 39 on the front nine. For added value Leona also outscored her playing partner and world number four, Suzann Pettersen, by two strokes.

The family act kicked in when Lisa also won the money in her three-ball and despite a triple-bogey six early in the round clawed back to finish ahead of playing partners England’s Laura Davies (76) and Australian Katherine Hull (73).

“I didn’t hit a good tee shot and was a little rushed,” said Leona of her opening double bogey six. “After that I settled a bit and was fine from there on.

“I started hitting the ball a little better off the tee and I got my iron shots dialled in a bit more and holed a few putts on the back nine. I’m happy after being four over through 10. If someone had told me I would finish level I would have taken it, so I’m pretty happy.”

Similarly, Coakley should sleep peacefully following her 71. Also playing the back nine first, she shot two birdies and a bogey to go through the turn in one under par.

Playing alongside the long-hitting Swede and multiple Tour winner Sophie Gustafson and New Zealand’s Lee-Ann Pace, a back-nine 36 had Coakley comfortably in the clubhouse in joint 16th position.

“I felt like I drove the ball pretty well today,” she said afterwards. “I felt I was hitting it a decent length, which is a big help because it was playing a lot longer than the practice rounds and the pro-am. I putted reasonably well. I left three out there that I left in the jaws, but I am happy.”

Rain intermittently lashed the course and most of the morning groups had sustained falls for their closing holes. Martina Gillen finished on two over par, Tara Delaney on five over par and Hazel Kavanagh on nine over. Claire Coughlan-Ryan, who has recently had a child and is in the tournament by invitation, completed her first round in 10 over after an 82.

While Lisa Maguire toughed it out, Curtis Cup team-mate Danielle McVeigh of Royal County Down finished on two over par, giving the scoreboard a curious look. After day one, round one, three of the top four of Ireland’s leading players are the amateurs.

“I’d seen what she’d done just before I came out,” said Lisa about Leona. “For bragging rights tonight I thought I’d have to get close anyway.”

What a pair.