Leona Maguire six off clubhouse lead at Evian Championship

World amateur number one carded a 72 in opening round in year’s fifth Major

Leona Maguire carded a 72 in her opening round of the Evian Championship. Photograph: Inpho
Leona Maguire carded a 72 in her opening round of the Evian Championship. Photograph: Inpho

A bogey on the final hole meant Leona Maguire finished one over par for her opening round in the Evian Championship.

On her competition debut 20-year-old Maguire had a mixed start to her round in France, going par-bogey-birdie in her first three holes.

This set the tone for the rest of the amateur world number one’s round, as birdies on the ninth, 13th, 14th and 17th were cancelled out by bogeys on the sixth, 15th and 18th as well as a double bogey on the 12th.

Maguire's 72 leaves her six shots off the clubhouse lead of South Korea's Mi Hyang Lee and America's Lexi Thompson, who produced a stunning run of birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie from the 12th to the 15 in a blemish free round of 66. Maguire finished the day in a tie for 40th place.

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Elsewhere Inbee Park’s pursuit of a career Grand Slam in the year’s final major championship got off to a slow start as she made four bogeys and three birdies in an opening round 72, also leaving her one over for the championship.