Leona Maguire powers in T-Mobile Matchplay Championship semi-finals

Cavan's Leona Maguire stormed through to the semi-finals of the T-Mobile Matchplay Championship after 4&3 win over Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn to set up a meeting with Sei Young Kim.

Maguire had excelled in the three-day traditional format, finishing top of the leaderboard to enter the knock-out stage as top seed in Las Vegas.

The change to matchplay on Saturday didn’t trouble of her as she took control against Jutanugarn from the very first hole and eased into the semi-finals.

Maguire opened with a par, good enough to move one up as her 29-year-old opponent opened with a bogey.

A birdie at the par-four third saw her take a second hole before Jutanugarn responded at the next hole to move back to one down.

Maguire had taken complete control at the turn though, a par at the fifth and a birdie at the eighth – both par threes – enough to leave her three up heading into the back nine.

MATCH DETAILS

After the 10th was shared, two birdies saw Maguire take the next two holes as Jutanugarn’s challenge unraveled with a series of bogeys.

That left Maguire dormie five after 13 and while she had a putt to close the match on the 14th, it horse-shoed out to allow Jutanugarn to get back to four down.

Maguire's tee shot sprayed well right at the 15th and she had to lay up, but she got up and down with her opponent only making par to secure her spot in tonight's semi-final.

Like Maguire, Kim was more than comfortable in progressing as she defeated Rose Zhang 6&5.