The Japanese rookie (23) took advantage of windless conditions for 14 holes of her morning round to fire a bogey-free seven-under 65 and lead by three strokes from her compatriot Rio Takeda, who shot 69, on 11-under at halfway.
With Lindy Duncan, Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn, Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini and Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck seven shots behind in a tie for third, the field needs the Japanese pair to come back to them in blustery third-round conditions. But that will be a challenge for the pack, including Maguire, who had to fight hard to lie just three shots outside the top 10.
The Cavan star (30) had to make a 12-footer for par at the first, and while she pitched to a foot to birdie the sixth, she had to battle hard to come over in two-over as she found just three greens in regulation on the back nine and had to make a six-footer for par at the 18th.
Finding fairways will be key as title favourite Lottie Woad discovered when she raced to five-under for the day, only to find deep rough and run up a triple-bogey seven at the 16th en route to a 70 that left her joint 10th on two-under. Lauren Walsh shot 75 to miss the two-over-par cut by a shot, while rookie Anna Foster had 33 putts in a 79 to finish on 11-over.
At the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, Mac Meissner fired a seven-under 63 and Sungjae Im a 64 to claim the early halfway lead on 12-under at Sedgefield Country Club.
On the Hotel-Planner Tour, Mark Power was the only Irishman to survive the cut at Schloss Roxburghe in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge. A two-under 69 saw him make it on the two-under limit, 11 strokes behind Spain’s Quim Vidal who added a 65 to his opening 64 to lead by two strokes from Scots Daniel Young and Euan Walker.
Meanwhile, Tramore’s Anna Dawson held off a back-nine comeback from Belvoir Park’s Holly Hamilton to win the AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship on the 18th at Ardee. The rangy red-head (22) parred the last to win one up and cap a superb season after graduating from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, teeing it up in the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House.
She beat Romford’s Zoe McLean-Tattan 3&2 in the semi-finals and raced into a four-up lead through 10 holes against Hamilton, who beat Co Louth’s Ellen O’Shaughnessy 6&4 in her semi.
Hamilton was in no mood to go down without a fight and after winning the 11th with a par, she birdied the 14th, 15th and 17th to square the match before Dawson took the title at the last.
“It got very close there at one stage,” said Dawson, who will play next week’s Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa. “I was just trying to continue playing the golf I was playing all week. Fairway, green, two-putt, and if it drops, it’s a bonus. I was delighted to get it over the line.
“It feels great, especially with dad on the bag, to share it together. Poor mum couldn’t make it up today, my brothers as well. My heart was pounding [on 18], but it was fine, I got it over the line, so I can’t complain.”
Malone’s Eva Branks beat Stackstown’s Alexandra Kearney at the 20th to claim the Girls’ Plate, while in the Over 18 Plate, Kanturk’s Mairéad Martin beat Royal Portrush’s Laura Webb 5&3.
Louth’s Brendan Lawlor added a 73 to his opening 70 to win the ISPS Handa G4D at Ardee from Roganstown’s Cian Arthurs and Portmarnock’s Paul O’Kelly.
Lambeg’s Mark Clougherty (Div 2) and Co Tipperary’s Timmy Moloney (Div 3) won the nett events.
Meanwhile, Damian Mooney is just four shots behind leader Andrew Marshall in the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International in Aberdeen.
AIG Women’s Open, 12.0
Wyndham Championship, 7.0pm
(Live on Sky Sports)
