Leona Maguire shoots 62 to take a 2-shot lead in the Pelican Women’s Championship

Belleair, Fla. – Star of the Solheim Cup Leona Maguire thrived in the star group on Thursday with 8 under 62 while leading the defending champions by 2 shots Sei Young Kim in the Pelican Women’s Championship.

Maguire plays with Kim and Lexi Thompson. No one on the team worked wonders at Pelican Golf Club on an ideal day to score.

Maguire is still trying to become Ireland’s first winner on the LPGA Tour. Her best result was runner-up at tournaments in Michigan and Hawaii this year.

For now, she’s happily best known for going five-match unbeaten to lead Europe to the Solheim Cup championship two months ago.

Maguire created a clinic by hitting every fairway and making only 24 putts.

“It’s really, very solid,” she said. “Hit a lot of balls, give yourself plenty of chances and land some good shots. … Well, it’s all a click away.”

It was helpful to have her trainer, Shane O’Grady, with her during the week. It’s the first time he’s seen her play in person since she was on her way to pick up her LPGA Tour card in late 2019. O’Grady has been booked in Ireland by COVID-19 ever since.

Kim, who won three shots last year in the inaugural event, opened with three birdies in a row until cooling slightly, within range of Maguire with an eagle at par-5 14.

“I didn’t check the leaderboard, so I think since my team is really playing well, I hope everyone plays well,” Kim said. “I check the leaderboard and, yes, our team has been playing really well. So we all deliver. [off] each other, really. “

Thompson is in the big group at age 65 that includes Nelly Korda, who returned to No. 1 in the women’s world rankings this week and is competing on the LPGA Tour for the second time since the tough Solheim Cup.

The 65-year-old group also includes Lauren Coughlin, among the last to enter the field, Nasa Hataoka and the former women’s PGA champion Danielle Kang.

Jin Young Ko, with a tight lead over Korda in the race for points for LPGA player of the year, was slowed by a pair of bogeys after making the first leg and had to settle for 68.

Fifty players from the 108-player field have been eaten.

This is the final tournament for the top 60 in the Race to the CME Globe to qualify for next week’s CME Group Tour Championship on the Gulf Coast in Naples, where all 60 players will have a $1.5 million prize pool.

Ko has a tight lead over Korda, although that’s irrelevant when it comes to the scoring race as everyone will start even next week.

Maguire is also a backstop for next week, although her concern is getting her first win on the LPGA Tour. No idea what her Irish town will do for her when that happens. After the Solheim Cup, she was driving through the streets of her single-window town in a golden BMW with her name on the number plate.

“It’s basically like St Patrick’s Day in Ireland,” she said. “I guess it’s timed with the lifting of the COVID restrictions. I think for me the greatest thing is to see people happy and excited again. I brought smiles and joy to so many people. many people.”

Lydia Ko opened the scoring with 67, a big step towards finishing the Vare Trophy with the lowest GPA. Ko, Korda and Inbee Park have a lower GPA but will not meet the minimum requirement of 70 rounds. Ko’s next challenger is In Gee Chun, who already has 74,