Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow make solid Evian Championship starts

Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow have made solid starts to the Evian Championship, the year's fourth major.

Maguire carded an opening 70 on the Evian Resort Golf Club course in eastern France with the Cavan golfer on one under, one shot behind Stephanie Meadow who is five adrift of clubhouse leader Paula Reto of South Africa.

Reto, who carded a seven-under 64, holds a two-shot advantage over the quartet of Alison Lee, home favourite Celine Boutier, world number three Lydia Ko and Wichanee Meechai.

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Maguire made a slow start on Thursday with a bogey on the par-3 second hole but rallied towards the end of the front nine, with birdies on seven and nine.

However, successive bogeys on 12 and 13 dropped her back to one over, but she finished strongly with birdies on 15 and 17.

Meadow, meanwhile, also made a slow start with successive bogeys on two and three but birdies on five, seven and nine turned the round in her favour before she managed three more birdies and two bogeys on the back nine.