Ahead of her return to the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire had observed, “there will be a little bit of rust I would imagine.”
She wasn’t trying to be a version of Mystic Meg in her observations but, as it happened, there was indeed an element of rust in an opening round 73, one-over-par, in the LPGA Gainbridge tournament at Boca Rio Golf Club in Florida where Europe’s Solheim Cup standout trailed clubhouse leader Danielle Kang by eight shots.
American Kang, winner of the Tournament of Champions last week, opened with a stunning 65 that comprised of eight birdies and a lone dropped shot in seeking to earn back-to-back early-season wins.
For Maguire, it was a case of patience in finally finding a birdie at the par three 17th - her only one of her first competitive round since November - to go with two bogeys, incurred at the fifth and eighth holes.
Stephanie Meadow too struggled to get into a rhythm as she suffered a double bogey six at the seventh and a bogey at the 10th in a round of 75, three-over, which failed to muster a birdie. Both Irishwomen face a battle to survive the cut.
“I played well last week. It’s a new week. I still have things to work on. I still have things I need to focus on,” said Kang of carrying on any momentum. “Every golf shot is difficult. Golf is hard. So my whole thing is to be mentally present and constantly work on the things that I need to work on without being so focused on the result, while knowing what I need to do and want to do, but being able to prioritise what my values are right now I think is the most important.”
