Solid starts for Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow at Founders Cup

Leona Maguire is six shots off the lead after the opening round at the Founders Cup at the Upper Montclair Country Club.

The Cavan native carded a 69 for a round of three under, which leaves her in an early tie for 22nd at the New Jersey event.

Starting on the back nine, Maguire bogeyed the 11th before immediately responding with an eagle on 12, and continuing the eventful start, another bogey followed on 13 before a birdie on the very next hole.

Maguire maintained that momentum with consecutive birdies on 17 and 18 before neither dropping nor gaining a shot on the front nine in a solid opening day.

Stephanie Meadow is two shots further back after the Antrim golfer opened with a 71, posting four birdies and three bogeys.

Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden leads the way after she fired a nine-under-par 63.

Sagstrom birdied the first four holes, rolled in another three straight at numbers 12-14 and finished the round with nine birdies and no bogeys. That was enough for a one-shot lead over Megan Khang.

LEADERBOARD

Khang started her round on the back nine, picking up four birdies there and four birdies on the front.

Japan's Nasa Hataoka was third after a seven-under 65. Hataoka recorded an eagle at the par-5 second and added five birdies while staying bogey-free.

Three players were tied for fourth after shooting 66: Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines, Giulia Molinaro of Italy and Amy Yang of South Korea.

Lexi Thompson was part of a seven-way tie for seventh at five under. She tallied six birdies on the front nine for a six-under 30 going out before cooling off with two bogeys and a birdie on the back.

Sixteen-year-old amateur Anna Davis is in position to make the 36-hole cut after carding a two-under 70 Thursday.

Davis, who won last month's