Leona Maguire bidding to climb leaderboard at Woburn

Leona Maguire made the cut comfortably for the weekend at the Ricoh British women’s Open Championship at Woburn yesterday.

The 21-year-old Curtis Cup star from Slieve Russell in County Cavan fired an excellent two under par 70 to add to her 71 of the previous day for a 36-hole total of 141.

Three birdies on the bounce from the 4th set her up well. She dropped strokes at 8 and 12 but collected a birdie two on the 17th. She is comfortably in the top 30 looking to push up the leaderboard this weekend.

Maguire, a student at Duke University in California is very much in the running for the top amateur award. Presently only one amateur — Curtis Cup colleague Bronte Law is ahead of the Irish star by a stroke.

Korean Mirim Lee, who established a course record of 62 on the opening day was not quite as accurate and deadly yesterday, and posted a 71 for a 133 aggregate and she remains at the top of the pile.

Maguire’s fellow Irish international Olivia Mehaffey returned a two over par 74 to add to her 75 to miss the cut.