Leona Maguire stayed very much at the business part of proceedings in the Ladies’ European Tour’s season-ending Spanish Open after the 27-year-old Co Cavan player added a 69 to her opening 68 for a midway total of nine-under-par 137 to lie in solo third as Spanish teenager Cayetana Fernandez took a surprise lead into the weekend.
Solheim Cup star Maguire, ranked 11th on the Rolex World Rankings, is the headline act in the field and added the LET’s finale onto her schedule after a hugely impressive season on the LPGA Tour where she closed out with a runner-up finish to Lydia Ko in last weekend’s Tour Championship.
A bogey-free round of 69 enabled Maguire to be well positioned heading into the weekend, with 17-year-old amateur Fernandez – a member of Europe’s winning Ping Junior Solheim Cup team last year – including a hattrick of birdies from the 11th in her impressive 65 for 135 to hold a one-stroke lead over LET order of merit leader Linn Grant.
Grant is involved in a duel with compatriot Marja Stark for the LET’s order of merit title, with Stark among those in tied fourth and still very much in the hunt for the tournament itself and also that two-player battle for the order of merit.
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In the weather-marred Joburg Open, a co-sanctioned event on the DP World Tour and the Sunshine Tour, Ulster teenager Tom McKibbin – who secured his full card on the main circuit through last season’s Challenge Tour – remained very much in the mix. The 19-year-old from Holywood, Co Down, was among those unable to complete their second rounds due to threats of lightning but was two under on his card through 10 holes after opening with a 68 to be on five-under for the tournament in tied-18th.
England’s Dan Bradbury shot a fine 66 to add to his opening 63 to set the midway clubhouse target on 13-under-par 129, but with his main pursuers among those yet to complete their second rounds.
Unfortunately for John Murphy, his DP World Tour debut as a full card carrying player came with a missed cut after the Corkman slumped to a second round 76 to add to his opening 68 for two-over 144.
