Leona Maguire opens with a victory at LPGA match-play event

Leona Maguire opened with a victory at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play tournament in Las Vegas.

The Cavan native came up against Sweden's Linnea Strom in her first group game and enjoyed a 4&2 win to secure an opening point in her four-player group.

The seventh seed took an early lead, and while Strom levelled the match on the third hole, Maguire took control, going three up over the next four.

Bogey on the par-three eighth hole handed one back to the Swede, but then Maguire increased the lead to four with back-to-back holes secured around the turn.

Strom fought back to win the 11th and 12th, yet Maguire halted the fightback on the 13th to maintain a safe distance in front and secured the 4&2 win on the 16th hole.

Korea duo Na Rin An and Jenny Shin are the other two players in Group 7, and Maguire will face both over Thursday and Friday, ahead of the weekend knock-outs.

The 16 group winners progress to the last 16, and Saturday’s double rounds will determine Sunday’s semi-finalists.

Likewise, Sunday will see the semi-finals played in the morning, following by the championship match later that afternoon.

Match-Play Scores