Golf

Leona Maguire slips back in Saudi Arabia with closing string of bogeys

Cavan golfer opens $5m event with four-over 76 after dropping shots in each of the last three holes

Leona Maguire closed with three straight bogeys in the first round of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International. Photograph: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Leona Maguire closed with three straight bogeys in the first round of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International. Photograph: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Thu Feb 15 2024 - 18:30

Ireland’s Leona Maguire struggled on the opening day of the $5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International, closing with three bogeys as she carded a four-over 76 in windy conditions.

Maguire opened with two pars but made the first of five bogeys on the third hole and went on to make pars all the way to the turn. The 29-year-old Cavan golfer made her only birdie of the day on the 10th to get back to level par before making a bogey on the 13th. Her closing hat-trick of bogeys left her in a share of 66th position going into the second round.

The event, which offers the same prize fund as the men’s event on the DP World Tour, has brought a world-class field to Riyadh Golf Club, with Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit firing an opening round of six-under 66 to hold a one-shot lead.

South Africa’s Paul Reto is in second place after she produced a round of 67, with Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup and Belgium’s Manon De Roey a shot further behind on four under.

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