Rocky back nine drops Maguire back at Pebble Beach

Cavan pro left with plenty to ponder as five bogeys after the turn see her tumble from top slots of leaderboard, six off early Friday clubhouse lead

BEACH DAY: Leona Maguire, of Ireland, hits from the 15th tee during the second round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Friday, July 7, 2023, in Pebble Beach, Calif. Pic: AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

As the newly minted No. 10 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Leona Maguire is trying to live up to loftier expectations midway through the U.S. Women’s Open.

Maguire climbed as high as tied third on the leaderboard at the turn on Friday before a bogey run on her second nine dropped her down somewhat when she walked off Pebble Beach after a second-round 74 in the morning wave. In keeping with a very frustrating back nine she hit her 25-foot birdie putt 13 feet past the hole on 9 and missed the first effort back making another bogey to walk off T11 at 1-under overall after 74.