<p>Leona Maguire in action at Erin Hills. Picture: USGA</p>
Leona Maguire mounted a brave second-round comeback in the US Women’s Open, but a painful triple-bogey seven left her three shots outside the projected cut mark at Erin Hills.
The Cavan star (30) faced an uphill battle to make the cut following a first-round 76, but after making birdies at the third, fourth and seventh, she came unstuck at the 417-yard 11th.
Bunkered 40 yards from the pin in two, she splashed out just a few yards into heavy rough and after moving her fourth just two feet, she had to take a penalty drop before making a 10-footer for a triple-bogey seven.
A level par 72 that left her three shots outside the projected cut mark on four-over when play was suspended due to dangerous weather in the area.
Japan’s Mao Saigo shot 66 to lead by three shots in the clubhouse from Nelly Korda (67), Hinako Shibuno (69), Sara Schmelzel (68), Maja Stark (69), Yealimi Noh (71) and Al Lim Kim (71)
On the DP World Tour, Portmarnock rookie Conor Purcell birdied his final hole to make the one-under-par cut on the mark in the Austrian Alpine Open in Salzburg.
Three under for the tournament with four holes to play, he double-bogeyed the sixth (his 15th) and bogeyed the seventh after finding greenside bunkers at Gut Altentann.
But he got up and down for par at the eighth before making birdie at the par-five ninth, where he hit a 124-yard third to eight feet and made the putt.
He goes into the weekend ten shots behind Germany’s Marcel Schneider, who shot 66 to lead by two strokes on 11-under from compatriot Nicolai von Dellingshausen.
In Spain, just two of the six-man Irish contingent made the level-par cut in the Challenge de Cadiz.
Max Kennedy’s level par 72 left him tied 25th on two-under, eight shots behind Spain’s Quim Vidal as Dermot McElroy’s 73 left him 41st on one-under.
Liam Nolan (74) and Robert Moran (69) finished on three-over, with Mark Power (76) six-over and Jonny Caldwell (74) plus seven.
Article Link: Maguire set to miss cut in US Women's Open - News - Irish Golf Desk