More putting frustration for Leona Maguire as Annabel Dimmock leads Irish Open

Maguire lost touch with the leaders, admitting she hasn't done much right this week.

Leona Maguire follows her shot on the 18th

Leona Maguire neatly summarised her 2024 KPMG Women’s Irish Open after another frustrating round at Carton House on Saturday as she lost pace with the top of the leaderboard – “I haven’t done much wrong this week, I just haven’t done much right.” 

For the third day in a row, the home favourite and figurehead of her national open endured putting woes that meant she failed to capitalise on her excellent play from tee to green around the par-73 O’Meara course. 

A one-under-par, penultimate-round 72 was not nearly enough to stay in touch with the leaders, leaving her on five-under-par. That is 10 strokes behind 54-hole leader Annabel Dimmock, an Englishwoman with a Cork-born mother who could just give the Carton House spectators enough of a reason to get behind a contender during Sunday’s final round in Co. Kildare.

Maguire ruled herself out of contention following her second consecutive 72 – she had opened with a 70.

Leader Annabel Dimmock. Pic ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Asked whether she was still in with a chance of a second Ladies European Tour victory, the Cavan golfer said: “No, I mean, it’s going to take an incredibly low one tomorrow. There’s no reason why not, we’ll try and go out and try and go as low as I can.

"I do feel there is a low one out there. So we’ll get at it early and see what happens.” 

Having begun with a birdie on the par-five opening hole, Maguire found 17 greens in regulation on Saturday, and has only carded three bogeys over 54 holes this week, the third coming at the par-four 12th, only to rebound with a bridie three holes later. Yet her round just never caught light.

“I feel like for the third day in a row I’ve probably shot as worse as I possibly could have, given the way I actually played. I gave myself a lot of chances today, a lot more chances than I did yesterday evening. Holed a nice one on the first and thought that was us off and running but never really holed anything at all.

“Kept giving myself chances, kept giving myself a lot of looks, just didn’t hole any at all.

“I haven’t done much wrong this week, I just haven’t done much right. Coming out of the wind the last two weeks (at the AIG Women’s Open in St Andrews and Scottish Open) I feel like I’ve adjusted my long game quite well, just my putting hasn’t quite been there.”

Ireland’s only other representative among the 13 homegrown players who teed off last Thursday to make the midway cut was Leaving Certificate student and amateur Anna Abom, the 18-year-old from South County Dublin’s Edmondstown GC, shooting a 78 on Saturday following rounds of 72 and 71.

At the top of the leaderboard, though, Dimmock, 27, will enjoy a two-stroke lead over 36-hole leader Ursula Wikstrom going into the final round following an eight-under 65, recording the low round of the week for the second day in a row after a Friday afternoon 66.