The giant billboard by the entrance to Carton House, a Fairmont resort, hides no secrets. The poster girl of this KPMG Women’s Irish Open is unquestionably Leona Maguire – Solheim Cup star, multiple LPGA Tour winner and with a recent Ladies European Tour title added to her career CV – and those crowds who traipsed around the O’Meara course for the first round were not disappointed.
When Maguire rolled in a par putt on the 18th green for a bogey-free round of three-under-par 70 – one constructed with three birdies and 15 pars and, perhaps, a sense that it could, and probably should, have been lower – there was that sort of feel good applause from those gathered in the grandstand and those in the corporate hospitality unit to show their appreciation.
Others had stars in their eyes. When Maguire emerged from the recorder’s Portakabin one of those waiting to meet her was nine-year-old Mirah Mijumbi. The Roganstown golfer, in fact, has a big date in her own schedule at Royal Portrush next Tuesday when she plays a match against European Tour player Tom McKibbin as part of the Flogas Irish Junior Champions final day.
Here, though, young Mirah’s priority was to get a photo with Maguire which the player’s manager Mark McDonnell duly obliged by taking on the role of snapper.
For the previous five hours Maguire had been focused on what she does for a living. Invariably her drives found the fairways. Invariably her approach shots found the greens in regulation. Yet from the very first hole, where an eagle putt somehow failed to drop due to some unseen dark wizardry, any frustration would come on the greens.
“I don’t know how that putt didn’t go in,” said Maguire, smiling afterwards. “There was a few head-scratchers out there; at least I haven’t used up any of my luck today.”
Maguire’s start was a solid one with an opening 70 that left her just two shots adrift of the trio of leaders – Alessandra Fanali, Ursula Wikstrom and Luna Sobron Galmes – and very much poised to challenge.
“I felt like I hit some really good putts on the front nine, burned the edges quite a few times, but tried to stay patient. There was a lot of chances but the pins were on tricky little slopes. I had a lot of putts that just snapped one way or another at the hole. I am happy with how I hit it. I gave myself chances and just a case of holing a few more putts the next few days.
“It’s just keep giving myself as many chances as I possibly can. I feel like there is a real low one out there so stay patient and just hole a few putts,” said Maguire, of greens running at 11 on the stimpmeter.
“They are quite slick downhill and I had quite a few downhill across the slopes – they are a little bit sneaky. I feel like they have to go in with pace to almost hole them. They do snap at the hole but at the same time you could leave yourself with a lot of three, four and five footers. So it was just a case of getting the balance right.”
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