Women’s PGA Championship: Leona Maguire on precipice of Irish history

By way of three days at Baltusrol’s Decrease Course, Leona Maguire has been the most effective participant on the KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship.

She is the one golfer to card three rounds within the 60s, as she shot a 2-under 69 Saturday to get to 7-under total.

“It was a bit extra of a blended bag than the primary two days, however I felt like I hung in rather well,” Maguire mentioned to NBC’s Amy Rogers after the spherical. “Anytime you break 70 on a significant championship golf course, you’re fairly completely happy.”

Maguire birdied Baltusrol’s opening gap and took benefit of the par-5 seventh, making one other birdie there. She carded a 2-under 33 on the opening 9, making the flip at 7-under for the championship.

She teetered on the second 9 however held on down the stretch as she bogeyed the eleventh and the seventeenth holes.

Photograph by Andy Lyons/Getty Pictures

Then on the par-5 18th, Maguire hit an exquisite second shot into the inexperienced to arrange one other birdie. Her two-putt on 18 offers her a one-shot benefit over Jenny Shin of South Korea heading into Sunday.

“I believe the sport plan is similar because the final three days,” Maguire added. “[I need to] attempt to go and execute actually good golf photographs, and if it’s sufficient [Sunday], then it’s sufficient.”

No feminine participant from Eire has received a significant championship. However Maguire will not be involved about that narrative Sunday in New Jersey.

“I do know [a win] would imply quite a bit, however I’m not attempting to get too far forward of myself,” Maguire famous. “It’s simply one other day on the golf course, and me and [caddy] Dermot [Byrne] will benefit from the stroll, and no matter it is going to be, will probably be.”

In fact, Padraig Harrington, the primary Irish golfer to win a number of main championships, has served as a vital mentor to Maguire.

She might want to lean on his recommendation Sunday, as she’s going to attempt to win her first main championship.

World primary Jin Younger Ko is 4 photographs again at 3-under. In the meantime, 20-year-old phenom Rose Zhang is hanging round at 1-under after an epic eagle end.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. You may observe him on Twitter and Instagram @jack_milko for extra golf protection. Remember to try @_PlayingThrough too.