Maguire misses cut as Meechai leads in Philadelphia

Leona Maguire shot a disappointing second round 77 to exit the US Women’s Open after missing the cut at Lancaster Country Club.

Starting the day on three over, Maguire made bogey on the opening hole, the tenth, before bouncing back with a birdie on the 13th. Back-to-back bogeys followed on 15 and 16 before another birdie on 17 saw her reach the turn on one over for her round.

But the damage was done on the way in as she made consecutive double bogeys on the third and fourth holes and followed up with another bogey on the fifth to move outside the cut line.

Maguire would have needed to finish with a flourish, however, a final bogey arrived on the eighth hole as her challenge faded.

The Cavan native finished on ten over par, two shots outside the midway cut.

Amateur Aine Donegan also missed the cut on the notoriously difficult course, ending on 19 over.

Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai, America’s Andrea Lee, Japan’s Yuka Saso and Australia’s Minjee Lee are sitting at the top of the leaderboard, with only three shots difference between them.

For round two, current leader Meechai ended the day on a score of four under, two shots ahead of Andrea Lee, who wrapped round two with a back-to-back score of one under.

The 2021 and 2022 US Women’s Open champions, Saso and Minjee Lee, are tied for third place at one under.

They are now only four players under par for the course.

American Lexi Thompson, who announced her retirement from full-time play earlier in the week, ended her tournament with a second-round score of 75.

She will leave Lancaster with 13-over 153 after four straight bogeys around the turn.

She said after her round: “I know when I teed it up first at Pine Needles, that’s where I wanted to be and playing against the best.

“To continue to do so and to be playing in my 18th, even though it wasn’t the way I wanted to end it, it was always special every time I teed it up in a USPGA event.

“I cherished every moment that I had.”