Classy Leona Maguire continues hot streak in Troon sunshine

Ireland's Leona Maguire, winner of the Portuguese women's international open amateur championship earlier in the year, continued her excellent early-season form yesterday to surge two shots clear of the field at the end of the first round of the 54-hole Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship.

The women's par of 75 is a generous one but there was no disputing the quality of the 16-year-old Curtis Cup twin from the Slieve Russell club. Her six-under-par 69 on a summer-like day at the Troon Portland links in Ayrshire was out of the top drawer.

A total of 31 players returned sub-par scores during a day when the wind veered from north-east to south-east by the end of it. Maguire, bidding to repeat her 2009 win in the Helen Holm instead of going for a hat-trick of wins in the prestigious French Under-21 girls championship, bogeyed only one hole in halves of 34 (four under par) and 35 (two under). That was the par-5 18th which, generally, players are looking to birdie.

"I had a bad lie in a greenside bunker at the 18th and could not get up and down to save par," said Maguire. "I don't know why but I generally start the season well and that 69 equals my best ever score over the Troon Portland course."

Maguire birdied the long first, third, fifth, long ninth, long 11th, long 15th and 17th. Her longest putt on greens that most players seemed to think were on the slow side was a 30-footer across the green to save par at the fourth after bunkering her second. Leona's twin sister Lisa, also from the Slieve Russell club, winner of the Spanish women's title so far this season, had to be content with a 73.

Like Leona, she had only one bogey - at the short fourth, but she did not amass as many birdies as Leona - all at par-5 holes: the first, sixth, ninth and 18th in halves of 36 and 37. Defending champion Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) and Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), both members of last year's GB&I Curtis Cup team in America shot opening 74s. McVeigh had bogeys at the fifth, short tenth, long 11th and 13th in halves of 36 and 38.

Clyburn ran up a double bogey 7 at the 11th and also bogeyed the fifth and tenth in halves of 35 and 39.

Leona Maguire's closest rivals, two shots back on 71, are two Scots, 17-year-old Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) and the experienced Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), plus another from the Emerald Isle, Gillian O'Leary (Cork), who is on the staff of the Irish Ladies Golf Union in Dublin. McKechin was out in 38 and home in 33; Kenney 36-35 and O'Leary 34-37.

Scottish champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Scotland team-mate Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) both had 73s.

MacDonald was out in two-under 36 but found birdies hard to come by on the inward half.She dropped a shot at the long 11th and had a birdie 2 at the short 14th.

Pretswell's bogeys at the third, long 11th and short 14th pushed her score up higher than it might have been, given that she birdied five par-5 holes: the second, sixth, ninth, 12th and 18th in halves of 36 and 37.

Third best Scot overnight is 16-year-old Angus junior champion Jessica Meek from Carnoustie Ladies. A four-handicapper, Meek did not expect to be rubbing shoulders with the international-class players in the field but there she is on three-under-par 72, despite four-putting the first green.