Leona Maguire crashed to her highest round as a professional as Team Ireland revealed she’s been battling ‘flu symptoms “all week” in the Women’s Olympic Golf Competition in Paris.
After opening with rounds of 78 and 79, the world number 30 carded an 11 over 83 in round three to sit 59th in the 60-strong field on 24-over-par.
“Leona under the weather with flu symptoms; not feeling well at all unfortunately,” Neil Manchip, Golf Ireland’s High Performance Director, confirmed in a text message.
The Co Cavan golfer (29) tested negative for COVID-19 after a round that featured a quadruple-bogey eight at the 15th and a triple-bogey six at the 16th, as well as six bogeys and two birdies.
It was her highest score in a professional event since she opened with an 11-over 83 in her very first when playing as a 12-year-old amateur in the 2007 Northern Ireland Ladies Open at Hilton Templepatrick.
Stephanie Meadow, meanwhile, carded a level par 72 to share 44th on eight-over as Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux eagled the 18th to share the 54-hole lead with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko on nine under, two shots clear of American Rose Zhang and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita.
“Yeah, much better, trending in the right direction,” Meadow said after making her fourth birdie of the day at the 18th. “A lot of fighting out there today. It wasn’t pretty but I got the job done.”
She added: “The rough is very penal and you’ve got to keep it in the short stuff. Hit some really good shots and chipped in twice today. That helped. Couldn’t get the putter going.
“Overall, decent day and maybe I can get under par tomorrow and move up some more.”
Meadow (32) played in the group just behind Maguire and she was grateful for the support from a strong Irish gallery.
“That was great,” the Jordanstown golfer said. “Back-to-back groups were Ireland, which was great. “You’re wearing a flag and you’re playing for your country. Trying to do my best and playing for pride at this point.”
At the top of the leaderboard, overnight leader Metraux made a 19-footer for an eagle three at the 18th for a one-under 71 to share the lead on nine-under with Ko, who won silver in Rio in 2016 and bronze in Tokyo three years ago.
The final day promises to be an exciting affair with the top 10 covered by just five strokes.
As Ko (27) shot 68 to join Metraux (27) on nine under, Zhang (21) posted a 67 to share third place with Yamashita (23), who shot 68, on seven under.
Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul (21) was fifth on six under after a 69, with Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe (44) five under and world number one Nelly Korda lurking just five shots off the lead in a four-way tie for seventh with Chinese pair Xiyu Lin and Ruoning Yin and France’s Celine Boutier on four under.
