Maguire three off lead after good start in Singapore

Leona Maguire is three off the lead at the t the HSBC Women's World Championship after starting with a two-under 70 on Thursday.

Last month Maguire became the first Irish winner on the LPGA Tour after a brilliant final-round performance saw her capture the Drive On Championship in Florida.

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The Cavan 27-year-old could well be in the mix for another title this weekend if she maintains her good form.

She offset bogeys on the sixth and 10th with birdies on the second, fourth, 13th and 14th holes at the Sentosa Golf Club to stay within reach of the pacesetters.

Patty Tavatanakit grabbed the lead after the 2021 ANA Inspiration winner fired a flawless five-under 67 .

The 22-year-old Thai sank in five birdies to be one stroke ahead of a trio that included two-time winner Park In-bee, fellow South Korean Kim A-lim and American Danielle Kang.

Top-ranked Ko Jin-young was in a big group at three-under, the South Korean recovering from a second hole double-bogey to card 69.

Ko has had a stellar season and the 26-year-old has recorded nine top-10 finishes in her last 10 starts that include five victories.

Others in that group include world number three Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Canadian Brooke Henderson and Thai Atthaya Thitikul.

Additional reporting: Reuters