| 15.2°C Dublin

Maguire and Meadow in touch with leaders but weather a threat to medal hopes going into final rounds in Tokyo

Leona Maguire of Team Ireland looks on from the first tee during the second round Expand

Close

Leona Maguire of Team Ireland looks on from the first tee during the second round

Leona Maguire of Team Ireland looks on from the first tee during the second round

Leona Maguire of Team Ireland looks on from the first tee during the second round

Brian Keogh

Stephanie Meadow fired a super 66 and Leona Maguire a 67 to leave them tied 11th at halfway and playing together in the third round of the Women's Individual Stroke Play in sweltering Tokyo.

While they could run out of time to catch leader Nelly Korda with an approaching tropical storm threatening to reduce the event to 54 holes, they are upbeat about their chances of making a run and dealing well with the heat.

Meadow made six birdies, including four in her last five holes, to get back to four-under-par, and she was joined on that mark by Maguire, who also made six birdies in a four-under 67 as the heat index soared to nearly 44C (110F).

They are five shots outside the medals, however, after world No 1, Nelly Korda, who needed a birdie at the last for a 59, made double bogey to post a nine-under 62 and lead by four shots on 13-under from India's Aditi Ashok (66) and Danish duo Nanna Koerstz Madsen (64) and Emily Kristine Pedersen (63).

"I just kind of managed it a bit better today, I think," Meadow (29) said after her round.

"I still didn't have my best stuff, but I gave myself a little bit more room on left pins and didn't short side myself, so that was really the key and is always part of shooting under par.

"I guess I hope I can start like that tomorrow. There's a lot of wedges on the last few, they're easy-ish holes, and they moved the tee on 18 up today, so all of those things contribute, but I finally got comfortable, hit good shots and started to see it a bit better."

While the IOC is officially planning for 72 holes so the event can finish as scheduled on Saturday, officials have warned athletes it could be 54 holes, depending on this weekend's weather at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Players were informed via a memo on Thursday afternoon that the plan remains to complete 72 holes on Saturday as scheduled, "if weather permits."

If not, "we do have the option to finish 72 holes … on Sunday," the memo read.

Sport Newsletter

Get the best analysis and comment on the GAA Allianz Leagues, the Rainbow Cup in rugby and Rory McIlroy's revival with our free newsletter.

This field is required

The bad news is that an approaching tropical storm could make it impossible to complete 72 holes before Sunday evening's Closing Ceremony.

That could lead to problems deciding the medals if there are ties, as last week's men's competition required four extra holes to settle a seven-man playoff for bronze.

Read More

However, Irish team manager David Kearney is upbeat.

"They are hoping for the best," he said. "We are taking it one day at a time here. Planning for a two tee start tomorrow at 7.30am. And again on Saturday at 06.30am."

Whatever about the weather, the Irish were pleased to finish well in round two.

After opening with a one-over 72, Meadow birdied the sixth and eighth to move into the red, then followed a bogey at the par-three 10th with birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th.

Maguire opened with a bogey but birdied the fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth to turn in 33, then picked up another shot at the 10th to get to four-under.

She dropped a shot at the 11th but birdied the last to join Meadow in a tie for 11th, five shots off third place and nine behind Nelly Korda on another day of scorching temperatures.

"They are both very pleased," coach Kearney said. "Leona said it was close to a great one because she shaved a couple of edges. She played great from the fourth to the 11th in particular and looked like she should have birdied each hole. Steph putted nicely and played a little better than yesterday. And both birdied 18, which left a nice taste."

Tournament organisers are working hard to help the golfers battle the extreme heat and humidity, providing umbrellas on the first tee as well as roving carts with ice and cooling towels.

It's still taking its toll on the caddies, however, with American Lexi Thompson forced to use her third caddie in two days.

But the Irish are coping well.

"They are dealing really well with the heat," Kearney said. "These two are probably two of the toughest I've ever had the pleasure of coaching at a young age and you need that here because it's savage."

Kearney is also pleased they are playing together tomorrow, joking: "That'll save the legs!"

As for the leader, Korda insisted she wasn't thinking about carding 59 heading down the 18th, where she had to chip out of the trees but then bunkered her third.

"No, not really, I wasn't thinking about it at all. I was like, ‘oh, cool, I have a pretty good lead going into 18’," she said. "But unfortunate that double on 18, but that's golf and that's just how it goes sometimes.”

Related topics

Related Content

More On Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Most Watched

Privacy