World Invitational: Leona Maguire finishes first round strongly to lie one off lead
- Published
Ewen Ferguson chipped in for an eagle at the 18th to complete a first-round 61, which broke the course record
ISPS Handa World Invitational first round leaderboard |
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Men: -9 E Ferguson (Sco) ;-5 R Bland (Eng), B Virto (Spa), F Paalson (Swe); -4 W Nienaber (SA), A Saddier (Fra), D Whitnell (Eng), S Garcia Rodriguez (Spa), F Celli (AM) (Ita), S Tarrio (Spa), T Aiken (SA), C Fyfe (Sco), C Syme (Sco), R Evans (Eng), R Petersson (Swe) Selected others: -3 J Murphy (Ire), D Carey (Ire); -2 P Dunne (Ire), J Senior (Eng); -1 T McKibbin (NI); +3 D Gavins (Eng) |
Women: -6 A Doherty (USA); -5 L Coughlin (USA), E K Pedersen (Den), G Hall (Eng), L Maguire (Ire) Selected others:-1 P Anannarukarn (Thai) +3 O Mehaffey (NI); +4 S Meadow (NI) |
Leona Maguire finished her first round strongly to lie one shot off the lead in a tie for second place after day one of the women's World Invitational.
Ireland's Maguire posted four birdies in her final six holes to sit five under par, one behind leader Amanda Doherty, in County Antrim.
England's Georgia Hall is another of a group of four players on five under.
Scotland's Ewen Ferguson fired a course-record nine-under-par 61 at Galgorm Castle to lead the men's event.
The Glaswegian, who secured his maiden European Tour win in the Qatar Masters in March, put together a remarkable bogey-free round which included eagle threes at the 10th and 18th, plus five birdies.
The 26-year-old completed his round by chipping in for his eagle from the end of the 18th fairway to better the previous course best by one shot and lead by four.
His earlier eagle came when he holed a difficult bunker shot at the start of his second nine.
Richard Bland - ranked 77th, and the only male player from inside the world's top 100 competing at the event - was the early clubhouse leader with a five-under 65 at Massereene, a score matched by Spain's Borja Virto and Sweden's Felix Paalson at the same course.
A bunch of 11 players are three adrift on four under, including Scots Connor Syme and Calum Fyfe and England's Dale Whitnell and Ryan Evans.
John Murphy and David Carey are the best-placed Irish players on three under, with Paul Dunne one further shot back and Tom McKibbin joining 2019 champion Jack Senior on one under.
Defending men's champion Daniel Gavins must improve to make the second-round cut after an opening three-over 73 at Galgorm.
Leona Maguire picked up shots at four of the last six holes at Galgorm
American Doherty set the pace in the women's tournament with her first-round 67 over the Galgorm parkland course.
Her compatriot Lauren Coughlin and Denmark's Emily Kristine Pedersen signed for five-under 67s at Masserene to join Maguire and Hall in joint second place.
Cavan's Maguire, who tied for fourth in last week's AIG Women's Open at Muirfield, carded three birdies, three bogeys and an eagle on the par-five third in her opening nine and followed that with pars at 10 and 11.
After dropping a shot at the 12th, she picked up further birdies at the 13th, 16th, 17th and 18th to move firmly into contention at the top of the leaderboard.
Northern Ireland pair Olivia Mehaffey and Stephanie Meadow did not fare so well, ending three and four over par respectively after their 18 holes at Masserene.
The County Antrim event is tri-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour, with men's and women's tournaments taking place simultaneously.
All players are playing 18 holes at both Galgorm Castle and Massereene before a halfway cut - to the top 60 and ties - is made in each tournament.
A further cut after 54 holes will be made to the top 35 players and ties, with rounds three and four both being played at Galgorm.
The £2.5m prize fund is being split evenly between men and women at an event which has been elevated to European Tour status following a successful inaugural edition on the Challenge Tour in 2019.
