Leona Maguire found a new lease of life by the shores of Lake Geneva, as the Cavan golfer included her first ever hole-in-one on the LPGA Tour en route to signing for a stunning opening round 65 in the Amundi Evian Championship at the French resort which got her into a logjammed five-way tie for the lead.
Maguire’s ace came on the signature Par 3 second hole – her 12th hole of the round – where she took “a little bit off” an 8-iron and watched as the ball finished in the hole. “Pretty special,” said Maguire of what she termed a “pretty good highlight to the day.”
In the fourth of five Majors on the LPGA Tour, Maguire’s return to form – having endured a tough time in coping with the physical demands at last week’s Women’s Irish Open at Carton House – saw her share the lead with American duo Jennifer Kupcho and Andrea Lee, and Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels and Grace Kim.
Leona Maguire celebrate hitting a hole-in-one on the second hole. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
“We had really tough conditions at the Irish Open in the wind and stuff last week, so it was a nice break from that to have a pretty flat, calm morning this morning. I think as we were getting to the end of last week at the Irish Open we were paying attention to knowing what was coming up here. I think this is my sixth year here, so you know what to expect every year here,” said Maguire.
“You know you’re going to have to work the ball a little bit. You can use the slopes or fight against them. Yeah, for the most part did a really good job today,” said Maguire.
The 30-year-old had started her round with a bogey on the 10th but bounced back with a birdie on the 11th, one of five in her round, with the hole-in-one for eagle on the second providing the shot of the day.
In the Genesis Scottish Open – co-sanctioned on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour – Rory McIlroy closed with three straight birdies to turn his day around in signing for a two-under-par 68, four shots adrift of the quartet of Nico Echavarria, Jake Knapp, Sepp Straka and Victor Perez. Pádraig Harrington opened with a 69.
In the ISCO Championship in Kentucky, also a co-sanctioned event, Dubliner Conor Purcell signed for an opening two-under-par 68 to be inside the top-20, seven behind clubhouse lead Chan Kim of the US.
