Leona Maguire labours to third-round 74 in Cincinnati

Leona Maguire lost ground on the leaders at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati after labouring to a third-round 74.

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Having begun the day half a dozen shots off midway leader Jeeno Thitikul, the Cavan woman ended it 12 shots adrift of the the former world number one who sits on 16-under par.

Bogeys at the seventh and ninth saw Maguire two over for her round at the turn, and she never really found any momentum on the back nine to finish with a 74 and one of 11 players tied for 47th on four-under par.

Thitikul, seeking her first individual LPGA win in two years, picked up five shots before suffering bogeys on back-to-back holes on 16 and 17.

The 21-year-old closed her day with a rally to grab a birdie on the par-5 No. 18, shaking off the challenge of the heat.

New Zealand's Lydia Ko, who Thitikul paired with, remains her closest pursuer at 14-under after her 69.

Ko, who won Olympic gold and the AIG Women's Open over the summer, recently clinched enough career points to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame.