Leona Maguire backs Portmarnock’s Major ambitions

The R&A is investigating the possibility of hosting the AIG Women’s Open and The Open at the north Dublin links, which has brilliantly hosted this week’s Women’s Amateur Championship.

“Obviously, the Women’s Amateur being there this week is a big step in the right direction; it’s a world-class venue,” Maguire said at a sponsor’s day for the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House from August 29 to September 1.

“Getting in and out logistically might be the tricky thing. But to have a Women’s Open at Portmarnock would be phenomenal. To have a women’s Major in Ireland was not something that was even on the radar when I was younger.”

Portmarnock is working with government to see if there would be support for them to make a credible proposition to the R&A. Players such as Maguire and Stephanie Meadow are already an inspiration to the next generation, and Elm Park’s Anna Foster feels ready to join them despite going out in the quarter-finals at Portmarnock yesterday.

“I think it’s more self-confidence and inner belief than anything else,” said the Dubliner (22), who will enter the LET and LPGA Q-Schools later this year. “The last few weeks have shown me that I am a good player and I deserve to be where I am.”

Foster lost 4&2 to Swede Louise Rydqvist, who later fell 4&3 to Scotland’s Lorna McClymont in the semi-finals.

The Glaswegian will face Melanie Green in today’s 36-hole final following the American’s impressive 3&1 win over Denmark’s Marie Eline Madsen.

Meanwhile, Frank Bensel Jr. made history at the US Senior Open, carding back-to-back aces in the second round at Newport Country Club.

Bensel carded a hole-in-one on the 184-yard fourth before acing the fifth from 203 yards. He still added a four-over 74 to his opening 75 to miss the cut on nine-over as Darren Clarke shot 70 to lie seven shots behind clubhouse leader Steve Stricker on one-under as Milltown amateur Jody Fanagan shot a second successive 77 to miss the cut.

At the DP World Tour’s Italian Open, Tom McKibbin shot a one-under 70 to make the one-under cut on the mark and find himself eight shots behind American Gunner Wiebe, whose 69 gave him a one-shot lead over German Jannik De Bruyn at halfway.

In the Challenge Tour’s Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell shot a three-under 69 to go into the weekend in solo fourth, just three shots behind co-leaders Wil Besseling, Jeff Guan and Wilco Nienaber.

Meanwhile, Galway’s Liam Nolan shot a seven-under 65 and Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy a 71 to keep alive their dream of winning the spot in The Open at Royal Troon awarded to the winner of the European Amateur Championship in Denmark. They go into the final round tied for seventh on four-under, just two shots behind American Preston Summerhays, whose 72 gave him a one-shot lead over a five-man chasing pack.

Italian Open, 12.30; Swiss Ladies Open, 2.0pm; Rocket Mortgage Classic, 5.0pm; US Senior Open, 5.0pm (red button); LPGA Dow Championship, 11.0pm (All live on Sky Sports)