The Cavan star showed form when she tied for seventh in the Amundi Evian Championship two weeks ago and with a new caddie, the veteran Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey, on her bag for the next two weeks at least, she’s feeling good about her game as the final major of the season approaches.
“Couldn’t really ask for a better start,” Maguire said of her link-up with Morbey, who caddied for Ian Woosnam when he won the Masters in 1991 and is set to continue on the bag at Royal Porthcawl.
“Holed out with a nine-iron on 10 [for eagle], on our first hole today in pretty much perfect conditions for most of the front nine,” she added.
Maguire lies a shot behind England’s Charlotte Lafar, tied for second with Japan’s Rio Takeda, Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz, Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol and new star Lottie Woad of England, who is making her professional debut.
The wind did not get up until late in her round, but she hopes Dundonald will be good preparation for next week.
“I think bit by bit, you hope for good prep ahead of Porthcawl next week,” said Maguire, who practised at Portmarnock last week. “So the linksier the conditions, the better.”
Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh dropped five shots in her last six holes en route to a five-over 77.
But it was a better day for Séamus Power in the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, where a four-under 67 left him seven shots behind Canada’s Adam Svensson, whose sensational 60 gave him a two-shot lead over Sam Stevens.
In the ISPS HANDA Senior Open at Sunningdale, Pádraig Harrington made seven birdies in a three-under 67 to lie just four shots behind New Zealand’s Steven Alker.
The Dubliner was tied for fifth as Alker shot 63 to lead by a shot from Australia’s Mark Hensby.
“I played lovely at the start and struggled to score well,” said Harrington after following four birdies in five holes from the 13th with a three-putt bogey at the 18th. “Then on the back nine, I didn’t play so well and scored great.”
Darren Clarke was 42nd after a 70, as Paul McGinley’s 72 left him joint 82nd.
In the Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Seapoint’s Dylan Keating (23) added a four-under 68 to his opening 69 to lead the qualifiers for the matchplay stages at sunny Lahinch.
He topped the qualifiers by a shot on seven under from Dooks’ Conor Hickey (65), Tralee’s Mark Gazi (67), Ballybofey’s Ryan Griffin (68) and Royal Dublin’s Sean Downes (72) as just seven of the players on two-over made the cut.
ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, 9.30am
Senior Open Championship, 1.30pm
3M Open, 7pm
(All live on Sky Sports tomorrow)
