The 42

LEONA MAGUIRE HAS charged up the Irish Open leaderboard with a flawless 63 at a rain-soaked K Club to set the early clubhouse target.

The Cavan native reckoned she could’ve shot 62 on Friday, rather than 71, such was the volume of chances she created. And she came within a lipped-out putt on the 18th of hitting that exact mark, having also come close to birdie on 16.

Leona Maguire said she felt she could have hit 62 on Friday - she was a lipped out putt on the 18th away from doing exactly that on Saturday

Maguire is in the clubhouse on -11 after a nine-under 63 as the rain comes bucketing down in Straffan

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— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 29, 2026

But overall, it was a superb afternoon for Maguire as she found form before the Solheim Cup, which starts in the Netherlands on Friday week.

Leona Maguire has been in scintillating form at a rainy K Club, rattling in nine birdies in her first 15 holes to rise to fourth place in the KPMG Women's Irish Open

Watch live on @rte2 and @rteplayer pic.twitter.com/cz7U5N3TAq

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 29, 2026

The 31-year-old burst out of the blocks with three consecutive birdies from the second before gaining back-to-back strokes at seven and eight, where she unleashed a brilliant eight iron to within feet of the 137-yard par-three pin.

Having got up and down at the ninth to turn in 31, her precise chip enabled a sixth birdie of the day at number 10. 

There were further birdies at the par-three 12th, the 14th, and 15th to bring up nine-under for the round and 11-under for the tournament. 

She remains on that mark at the end of her round, in a tie for fourth behind runaway leader Casandra Alexander of South Africa, who held a five-shot lead from Czechia’s Sara Kouskova as she turned at 18-under. 

• You can view the leaderboard here.

On a good day for the Irish, Anna Foster also made a move up the leaderboard. The Dublin rookie ended with back-to-back birdies for a flawless 66, lifting her to seven-under.

Canice Screene turned at eight-under before dropping a shot at the 10th.

Áine Donegan had fired seven birdies, alongside three bogeys, inside 16 holes to reach six-under. 

Despite a triple-bogey at the fourth, Lauren Walsh was otherwise foot perfect with eight birdies to sign for a 65. She sits on five-under. 

The other home player to make the cut, Annabel Wilson, had a tough finish to end with a 73 on even par for the tournament.

Written by Stephen Barry and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.