- Three teams tied at the top on 14-under-par
- Leona Maguire leads the Individual competition on seven-under-par
Leona Maguire sits at the top of the leaderboard in both competitions at the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – London.
Team Maguire is in a share of first place on 14-under-par alongside Team Iturrioz and Team Hall at Centurion Club.
It was a day when Team Maguire, who are made up of the Solheim Cup winner, England’s Liz Young, Spain’s Marta Sanz Barrio and amateur Yana Wilson didn’t have a dropped shot on their team scorecard.
The quartet had a very steady day as they made the turn in seven-under-par and also had a back nine of seven-under-par to be tied at the top.
“We were all making a few birdies today which always helps and there were no dropped shots on the team card either which I think helps a lot in these conditions,” said Maguire.
“I think we had a nice atmosphere, a nice team. It was very comfortable out there and nice to roll in a few. It will be a bit of a quick turnaround, a long day. It will be a bite to eat then straight to bed and we’ll get out early in the morning again.”
Young explained: “I was playing quite well, it’s always nice to see the ball go in the hole a lot with Leona. That gave me some confidence to try and follow her on a few. Our amateur played really well too, so it was like having four pros. It was really nice, we gelled well.”
Sanz Barrio added: “I am very happy my team did all the job for me and hopefully, I can bring it in tomorrow and help us win tomorrow.”
Team Iturrioz set the early pace with their own round of 14-under-par, but the quartet of Spanish duo Nuria Iturrioz and Maria Hernandez, Finland’s Noora Komulainen and amateur Paul O’Flanagan had a slightly different day.
The team began the day on the 10th tee and had a phenomenal first nine holes making the turn in 10-under-par before having a back nine of four-under to be at the top of the pile.
“We actually started at 4am when we woke up! It was good, it wasn’t that chilly,” said Iturrioz. “Yesterday it was even worse, but that’s why we practiced earlier yesterday to practice for that.
“We played really good, we had a really good team, there were good vibes. Let’s keep going. I made really good putts on the front nine. I played good, I tried to follow Maria and Noora and tried to beat them with birdies.”
“I have been playing good for a while, but I wasn’t scoring. Four weeks ago, I changed my putter, so it’s been feeling better,” said Hernandez.
Komulainen: added: “Every time Nuria made a birdie she did a little dance, so that made me want to make birdies as well.”
It was also a good first day for the defending Team champion Georgia Hall as her quartet carded a round of 14-under-par with no dropped shots counting towards the total.
English duo Hall and Hannah Burke played alongside Morocco’s Lina Belmati and amateur Shane Hart-Jones, who contributed a net eagle on the final hole of the day.
The major champion said: “I could have hit it a bit closer today, my irons and distance control wasn’t that good but all in all we battled really well together. When one of us made a bogey, the other two came in and that’s what’s really important in this team format.
“Fingers crossed for tomorrow. It was a two-and-a-half club wind out there at times, hopefully, we’ll get easier conditions tomorrow and start the round like what we did today.”
Three teams sit one shot further back with Team Tan, Team Davidson Spilkova and Team Hedwall all on 13-under-par, while there are four teams in a share of seventh place on 11-under-par.
In the Individual competition, Ireland’s Maguire sits at the top of the leaderboard after producing a bogey-free round of 66 (-7) on the first day at Centurion Club.
The two-time LPGA winner rolled in back-to-back birdies on her fifth and sixth holes, before making three on the trot on holes eight thru 10 and then she added further birdies on 13 and 15 for her round of seven-under-par.
Austria’s Sarah Schober is in second place on six-under-par after carding a round of six-under 67 (-6), as she only dropped one shot on the 11th making birdies on holes three, six, eight, 12, 13, 15 and 17.
“I’m very happy and pleased with the game,” said Schober. “It was a really good day, I really enjoyed it out there. We had a really good team.
“Lately, I have felt way better than the scores have shown. I am very happy today that everything came together and clicked in. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. There’s still two days to go, I’m very relaxed and just want to enjoy it out there.”
Three players are in a share of third place with Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz, England’s Megan Dennis and Wales’ Chloe Williams on four-under-par.
One shot further back is the trio of Laura Fuenfstueck, Hannah Screen and Georgia Hall with seven players in a share of ninth place on two-under.
Round two will begin at 7.15 am (local time) with the Team competition being decided at the end of the day.
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