Leona Maguire takes three-shot lead at Meijer LPGA Classic after stunning 64

Maguire is bidding to become the first Irish golfer to win on the LPGA Tour

Leona Maguire. Picture: Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images

Leona Maguire holds a three-shot lead after shooting a stunning 64 in the second round of the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan.

The Cavan golfer began the day in a share of the lead and continued her fine form with five birdies in her first nine holes.

Back-to-back bogeys on the 1st and 2nd holes - her 10th and 11th of the day - were chalked down as a mere wobble as Maguire, with Shane Lowry's former caddie Dermot Byrne on her bag, picked up five shots on her final six holes.

That included an eagle-birdie finish to establish a three-stroke advantage, on 15-under, ahead of Australia's Su Oh.

"Everybody is going low. You know you have to go low," Maguire said. "There is not really time to look around or even look behind. It's sort of keep your foot down and keep going, make as many birdies as you can.

"You can't really protect a lead. You can't just try and make pars and stuff. You have to sort of go for everything. You have to hit a lot fairways out here. It's tough when you get in the rough. I knew all about that on 1 and 2."

Maguire had led after round one last week at the LPGA Mediheal Championship but stumbled on day two on her way to a share of ninth place. So backing up a second consecutive opening 65 with an even better 64 marks significant progress on the hunt for a first LPGA victory by an Irish golfer.

"I was really proud of how I came out today," she said.

"Last week in San Francisco, I was leading after day one and struggled on day two, so it was nice to put up a really good number back to back in rounds one and two and even go one better today.

"It was really nice building on that momentum going into the weekend."