Ireland’s Leona Maguire strikes late for Women’s PGA Championship halfway lead

NEW YORK – Ireland’s Leona Maguire is just taking it “one day at a time” in hopes of winning her first Major.

On Friday, the 28-year-old birdied three of her last four holes to take a one-stroke, second-round lead in the Women’s PGA Championship at rain-soaked Baltusrol.

She shook off a slow start that saw her par her first five holes before a bogey at the 15th. She responded with a birdie at the 17th and grabbed another at the fourth before a bogey at the fifth.

Then she cantered home with birdies at the sixth, seventh and ninth to card a three-under 68.

Her five-under total of 137 put her one clear of England’s Mel Reid (67), Norway’s Celine Borge (69) and China’s Lin Xiyu (71).

It was a further stroke back to Australia’s Minjee Lee, who posted a 67, and overnight leader Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa, who posted a 73.

“Really happy with how I played today,” Maguire said.

“Weather was a little bit trickier today, especially on the back nine when that rain came in.

“Didn’t really hole any putts on the front side, but nice to get those three birdies coming in.”

Maguire arrived in Springfield, New Jersey, riding the momentum of her second LPGA title at the Meijer Classic last Sunday.

But chasing a maiden Major requires a different mindset, she said.

“This is uncharted territory for me,” she added.

“Whatever happens this week, I’m sure I’ll learn a lot, and just sort of taking it one day at a time.

“I think this golf course demands that. I think you can’t think more than one shot ahead, let alone a hole or a round ahead.”

Reid, meanwhile, was delighted to hit 18 greens in regulation on what she called a “beast of a golf course”.

“The rough is really obviously thick,” she said. “It’s obviously a bit wet. I feel like that’s OK for me because I’m one of the stronger players. I’m not too scared about hitting it in the rough, so I feel like it’s kind of freed my driver up.”

Lin said she found the conditions even more challenging than Thursday’s. She offset an opening bogey at the 10th with a birdie at 11th and followed a bogey at 15th with an eagle at the 18th.

“I didn’t really get angry with any of the bogeys I made,” she said.

“But then 18th hole, I finally hit the fairway, so I was like, there’s a good chance, and I hit that really good three-wood in the rain, and then it went up to like maybe 12-footer. When I made the putt, I was pretty pumped.”

World No. 2 Nelly Korda (77), in her first start after missing more than a month with back pain, will not play the weekend after going 11-over 153 and tying for 130th.

Also missing the cut were recent Major winners Lilia Vu (six over), Jennifer Kupcho (seven over), Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand (eight over) and Kim Sei-young of South Korea (eight over). AFP, REUTERS