Long-hitting Swede Maria Hjorth powered her way to a five-under-par 67 to lead after the first round of the AIB Ladies Irish Open at Killeen Castle.
Hjorth used her prodigious distance off the tee to take advantage on a day of changeable weather conditions at the Meath course, which will host next year’s Solheim Cup.
Hjorth started at the 10th and was off to a flying start when she eagled the par-five 12th. She reduced the 454-yard hole to a driver, rescue four wood, which she played over the water to 25 feet and rolled in the eagle putt.
The 36-year-old four-time Solheim Cup player birdied the 13th, bogeyed the 14th and birdied holes 17 and 18 for a back nine total of four-under 32.
She recorded her fourth birdie of the day at the third, hitting a lob wedge in to a foot from 75 yards, then bogeyed the par-three 16th, before going on to finish in style with a birdie on the par-four ninth.
Hjorth said that being a longer hitter helped, as she can reach three of the par-fives in two shots. “You can have a lot of birdie chances and you can take advantage of being a longer hitter,” she said.
“There were a couple of par-fives where I can reach the green in two but I got in the greenside bunker and didn’t get up and down. There were a couple of par-threes where I made bogeys but overall I’m very happy with today.”
Another player with Solheim Cup aspirations is England’s Melissa Reid, who was a stroke back on 68.
Scotland’s Carly Booth, 18, who is playing in her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour, had a career best round of 69 and was at three under in a seven strong group that also includes World number ten In Kyung Kim of South Korea, Denmark’s Iben Tinning, Kristy McPherson of the United States and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist.
Rebecca Coakley led the home challenge after carding a one-under-par 71. But her performance was overshadowed by the heroics of the 15-year-old Maguire twins, who both carded level par rounds of 72.
Leona got off to the worst possible start with a double-bogey six at the 10th. A bogey at the 18th saw her turn in 39 shots and she would move out to four over with a bogey at the 10th.
Back to back birdies followed and she would make further gains at fifth and eighth to get back to level par, two shots ahead of playing partner and world number four Suzann Pettersen.
Lisa also had to battle back from one bad hole after a birdie on the par-five second was undone by a triple-bogey six at the short sixth.
She bounced back with a birdie at the next, before a bogey at the tough ninth hole saw her turn in two over. Birdies at the 11th and 13th helped her back to level before she made parred the final four holes.
The third Irish amateur in the field, Danielle McVeigh, was level par after 13 holes before bogeys at the 14th and 16th saw her sign for a 74, the same mark as Martina Gillen.
Tara Delaney shot a five-over 77, while Hazel Kavanagh (81) and Claire Coughlan-Ryan (82) are towards the rear of the field