Tag: Leona

Aramco Team Series: Leona Maguire takes two-shot lead into final round as Team Hall and Team Nadaud head to London play-off | Golf News

Aramco Team Series: Leona Maguire takes two-shot lead into final round as Team Hall and Team Nadaud head to London play-off | Golf News
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Ireland’s Leona Maguire will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Aramco Team Series individual event in London, with two teams heading to a play-off.

Maguire added a second round of 72 to her opening 66 at Centurion Club to reach eight under par, with Solheim Cup team-mate Georgia Hall her nearest challenger on six under following a second successive 70.

After making a bogey on her first hole of the day, the 10th, Maguire responded with a birdie on the 13th, only to give the shot straight back on the next.

Birdies on the third and sixth ensured Maguire remained on top of the leaderboard as Hall suffered a poor finish to her round, the world No 38 racing to the turn in 31 but coming home in 39 after dropped shots on the seventh and eighth.

Team Nadaud and Team Hall finished tied at the top of the leaderboard at the conclusion of the 36-hole team event which means, with both teams level on 24 under par, they will play off for victory at Centurion Club at the end of the third round on Friday afternoon.

Team Hall is made up of Hall and Hannah Burke alongside Morocco’s Lina Belmati and amateur Shane Hart-Jones, while Team Nadaud includes Nastasia Nadaud, Czechia’s Kristyna Napoleaova, Spain’s Mireia Prat and amateur George Brooksbank.

Highlights from the first day of the Aramco Team Series London from the Centurion Club

“It is really windy out there; it’s probably a two to three club wind in places,” said Maguire.

“It’s getting swirly in between the trees as well. You really have to commit to your shots. It’s a tough test out there, you have to take advantage of those par-fives and par is a really good score on quite a few holes out there.

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Leona Maguire is bidding for a wire-to-wire victory at Centurion Club

“It’s almost playing a little bit linksy. The course is drying out, it’s getting firm and fast, and quite strong wind. It was swirling in places, so you’re just trying to hit a few punchy shots that I probably haven’t used in a while. It was definitely a welcome back to European golf. It’s a good test and I enjoyed it.”

Watch the Aramco Team Series event in London live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Mix, the red button on Sky Sports Golf and – for free on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel. Stream the Ladies European Tour and more with NOW.

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Leona Maguire grabs early lead at Aramco Team Series event in London as Charley Hull withdraws mid-round | Golf News

Leona Maguire grabs early lead at Aramco Team Series event in London as Charley Hull withdraws mid-round | Golf News
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Leona Maguire produced a brilliant birdie burst to grab a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Aramco Team Series event in London, where Solheim Cup team-mate Charley Hull was forced to withdraw mid-round.

Maguire made five birdies in a six-hole stretch on her way to a bogey-free 66 at the Centurion Club, lifting her to seven under and a shot clear of Austria’s Sarah Schober.

The Irishwoman made back-to-back birdies from the fifth and made three more from the eighth around the par-73 layout, then took advantage of the par-five 13th to pull level with Schober.

Maguire also birdied the par-five 15th to grab the outright lead and closed out her round with three straight pars, on a day where only 23 of the 108 players in the field finished in red figures, with the Solheim Cup star also sharing the lead in the team competition with Nuria Iturrioz and Georgia Hall.

“We were all making a few birdies today which always helps and there were no dropped shots on the team card either which I think helps a lot in these conditions,” Maguire said. “It was very comfortable out there and nice to roll in a few.”


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Iturrioz birdied three of her last six holes to post a four-under 69 and share third spot with England’s Megan Dennis and Wales Chloe Williams, while Hall is within four of the early lead thanks to an opening-round 70.

“I could have hit it a bit closer today,” Hall said. “My irons and distance control wasn’t that good but all in all we battled really well together. When one of us made a bogey, the other two came in and that’s what’s really important in this team format.”

MIDLAND, MI - JUNE 28: LPGA golfer Georgia Hall plays her tee shot on the 4th hole during the second round of the LPGA Dow Championship on June 28, 2024, at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
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Georgia Hall is searching for a first victory of the season

Maguire team contains England’s Liz Young, Spain’s Marta Sanz Barrio and amateur Yana Wilson, while Hall’s quartet contains Hannah Burke, Morocco’s Lina Belmati and amateur Shane Hart-Jones, with the three teams sharing top spot on 14 under.

Hall withdrew from the event on medical grounds having played six holes of her opening round, with the Englishwoman now hoping to be fit for next week’s Amundi Evian Championship – the fourth women’s major of the year.

Watch the Aramco Team Series event in London throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Thursday from 3.30pm on Sky Sports Mix, the red button on Sky Sports Golf and – for free on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel. . Stream the Ladies European Tour and more with NOW.

Women’s PGA Championship: Lexi Thompson leads with Leona Maguire and Charley Hull two shots back after first round | Golf News

Women’s PGA Championship: Lexi Thompson leads with Leona Maguire and Charley Hull two shots back after first round | Golf News
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Lexi Thompson made a fast start as she fired a four-under-par 68 in the opening round of the Women’s PGA Championship, leading Nelly Korda by a shot, and Ireland’s Leona Maguire and England’s Charley Hull by two.

USA’s Thompson, who is retiring from full-time golf on the LPGA Tour at the end of the season, made three straight birdies to start her round at the Sahalee Country Club in Washington state.

She added three more to open a one-shot lead over Korda and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit.

Hull was among those a shot further back alongside Maguire, with England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff on even par, two better than Georgia Hall, with Bronte Law a further stroke adrift.

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Lexi Thompson, who is retiring at the end of the season, leads the Women’s PGA Championship after the opening round

Yuka Saso, who won the US Open three weeks ago, was among those on 74 after four consecutive bogeys on the back nine.

After finishing runner-up last week, Thompson shrugged off suggestions her retirement announcement had prompted an upturn in form.

“I don’t think that has to do with announcing what I did,” she said. “It’s just a matter of being comfortable out there, playing free-swing Lexi I guess. Just enjoying being out there every step of the way.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time. I made my announcement. I’m very content with it.

“Golf is a crazy game, so I’m not going to look too far ahead. Just taking it one day at a time and see where it takes me.”

Korda missed her last two cuts – having opened with an 80 at the US Open – after winning six of her previous seven starts.

“I’ve seen a lot of first-hand rollercoasters happen in people’s careers,” Korda said.

“I just know that if you stay positive and in your own bubble, you can bounce back. You work hard, you know what you got inside of you, and you just got to go out and execute it.”

Maguire: I’ve been too harsh on myself lately | Hull: I didn’t feel the best but played all right

“I’ve probably have been very harsh on myself,” Maguire said. “I would say lately probably too harsh. I think I’ve had people around me, family, people on my team, tell me you need to be you need to be kinder to yourself.

“So I think that was kind of the message this week, to not really put too much pressure on myself, not have too many expectations and just sort of embrace the challenge that here’s going to bring like any other major.

“I suppose it’s very tempting to try and be too perfect at a major knowing that the sort of consequences are higher if you miss a shot, but yeah, to try and be a little kinder to myself this week was the big goal.”

Hull battled stomach cramps and waiting for her clubs to arrive in the build-up to the tournament.

“I didn’t feel the best, but I woke up this morning and felt fine and played all right, so there you go,” she said.

“I played well out there, hit it well but pulled my hip out with three holes to go, so I need to get physio on that.

“I felt comfortable out there. I love tree-lined golf courses. The tighter it is, the better I play.”

Watch the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Stream the LPGA Tour, majors and more with NOW.

Watch PGA Tour and DP World Tour action live this season on Sky Sports. The 152nd Open at Royal Troon is live from July 18-21 on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and more with NOW.

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