Cool Leona excels at Carnoustie

Teenage star Leona Maguire is in position at Carnoustie to grab a prominent place in the matchplay stages of the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship after yesterday’s second qualifying round.

But her 17-year-old twin sister Lisa had a nightmare, slumping to one of her worst competitive scores — 83 — and she will need a minor miracle today to survive.

Leona, the Curtis Cup player who has recently won her second Irish title, fired an opening one over par 73, a score bettered by only a handful of players. A double bogey six on the short 320-yard par four third was her major hiccup, although she recovered pretty quickly with two birdies in three holes from the eighth.

Out in 36, Maguire came back in 37 and was fuming at having two bogeys in the last three holes.

“I played pretty well today keeping the ball out of trouble most of the time,” said the hugely-talented Irish international from Slieve Russell.

Her sister Lisa, meanwhile, had three double bogeys, six bogeys and just one birdie. “This course punishes you so much if you are wayward, and I was today,” said Lisa.

Stephanie Meadow, the Royal Portrush golfer, came into the tournament with so many expectations after she holed the putt that gave Great Britain and Ireland the Curtis Cup at Nairn earlier in the month but she too was very disappointing.

A nine over par 81, which included three double bogeys, has made her task of making progress to the knockout phase very difficult and Castletroy’s Chloe Ryan recorded five double bogeys in an 81.

Leading the way after the first round were Parisienne Celine Boutier and Italian Giulia Molianro. Both mastered what is considered to be one of the toughest links courses in the world to post brilliant two under par 70s.

Following today’s second round, the leading 64 players go forward to the knockout phase, ending in the final over 18 holes on Saturday.