Leona Maguire started with a bang on Thursday at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open.

On her first hole of her first round, the par-4 10th at Dundonald Links, the Irishwoman dunked her second shot for an eagle two, an early spark that propelled the two-time LPGA Tour winner to an opening 67 in Ayrshire, Scotland, one that has quickly put her in the mix in the last event before the final major of the 2025 season.

“Couldn't really ask for a better start,” Maguire said. ‘Holed out with a 9-iron on 10, our first hole today, in pretty much perfect conditions for most of the front nine. Tried to take advantage of that as much as I could.”

But Maguire found herself on the par train after the eagle, rattling off six consecutive pars before making her first birdie of the round on the par-4 17th hole. She then parred 18 to turn in 33 at 3-under for the day. Her closing nine saw the 29-year-old land a pair of back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes, parring out to post a 67, both her lowest first-round and 18-hole score in her now five appearances in this event.

“I think you never mind being one of the first out on links,” Maguire said. “Always try and take advantage of the more benign conditions where you can. So, took advantage of them and try and build on the momentum tomorrow.

“I grew up playing quite a lot (of links golf) in our amateur days and stuff like that. Don't get to do it often anymore. Played some golf at Ireland week and went to Portmarnock. That was nice prep. This is not the firmest, but you still have to be creative with the wind and things like that. Hopefully, the course will keep drying out as the week goes on, and we'll get more linksy.”

Maguire has had a couple of top 20s during the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open in her four previous starts in this tournament, tying for 18th in 2020 and tying for 15th in 2021, but she has never managed to crack the top 10 at this championship, something that might be a bit of a surprise considering her familiarity with links golf.

This is her 17th tournament of the 2025 LPGA Tour season, and in her 16 starts ahead of this week in Scotland, Maguire has made 12 cuts and racked up five top-20 finishes, three of which have come in her last three LPGA starts at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (T19), the Dow Championship (T18) and The Amundi Evian Championship (T7) after she missed four straight cuts from May to June.

Maguire has teed it up in one Ladies European Tour event outside of the co-sanctioned tournaments, sandwiching in a week at home playing in the KPMG Women’s Irish Open between Dow and Evian, and while she would’ve much preferred to finish better than T48, that event did a lot for her morale heading into this final stretch of major championship golf, a boost that has clearly paid off evidenced by this strong display of recent form.

“I had obviously been playing well coming into the Irish, and it was a busy week and a bit tired and all the rest, but I suppose the energy of the crowd and all that sort of spurred me on as well,” Maguire said. “Try and ride the momentum coming off Evian last week.”

Now, with 54 holes remaining and several players going low early at Dundonald Links, Maguire will definitely need to keep the pedal down the rest of the way if she hopes to be contending on Sunday afternoon in Scotland.

But strong starts are always welcome, and considering that she opened with a 65 a couple of weeks ago in France before posting her best finish in a major since tying for fourth at the AIG Women’s Open in 2022, Maguire might be well on her way to another strong finish – or even a victory – at the 2025 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open.

After Hole-Out Eagle to Start, Leona Maguire Manages 67 on Day One in Scotland

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