Leona Maguire just four behind in major quest at Evian Championship
England's Cara Gainer and Australia's Gabriela Ruffels share the lead on 11-under par with the top 20 on the leaderboard covered by just five strokes.
Maguire went into the third round hoping to hit more fairways and give herself more birdie chances.
But while she hit 10 of 13 fairways and missed only two greens in regulation, she made little with the putter in terms of progressing up the leaderboard until late in her round.
After failing to get up and down for par at the short second, the Solheim Cup star birdied the sixth but dropped another shot after missing another green at the par-three eighth.
She finished strongly, however, rolling in birdies at the 210-yard 14th and the short par-four 17th to finish in a seven-way tie for 12th and give herself a chance on the final day in an event where she closed with a stunning 61 in 2021 to finish sixth.
Gainer, who was third in the Jabra Ladies Open at Evian Resort earlier this season, made an eagle at the seventh and added six birdies in a seven-under 64 to share the lead.
'I made a great par save on the first, which really settled my nerves', said the LET winner.
'Then I made a great putt on the second hole for birdie. I think one-under through two, kind of settled me down and I rolled a nice putt in again on four.
'My eagle putt was definitely a highlight of the day. I hit a great drive, a great hybrid into the green - about ten feet and holed the putt.'
ADVERTISEMENT
Ruffels got off to a shaky start with a bogey on the first but bounced back with a birdie and the second and added five more to card an impressive 66.
They lead by a shot from Australian duo Minjee Lee and Grace Kim, Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul, and South Korea's Somi Lee.
Japan's Yuri Yoshida shot 63 to share seventh with South Africa's Casandra Alexander on nine-under while France's Nastasia Nadaud, South Korea's Jenny Shin, and Hye-Jin Choi are a further shot back in joint ninth on eight-under par.
On the HotelPlanner Tour, Max Kennedy double-bogeyed the 17th and shot a one-under 69 that left him six shots off the lead heading into the final round of the D+D REAL Czech Challenge.
The Dubliner is tied for 20th on 12-under behind Australia's Danny List and Spain's Albert Boneta, who head the field by two strokes on 17 under at Royal Beroun.
Meanwhile, Ireland suffered playoff heartbreak for the second day running and lost 4-3 to England in the bronze medal match at the European Men's Amateur Team Championship in Killarney.
Just 24 hours after losing on the 19th to Denmark in the semi-finals, the hosts trailed 2-0 after the morning foursomes following 4&3 defeats for Stuart Grehan and Caolan Rafferty and Thomas Higgins and John Doyle.
Singles wins by Stuart Grehan and Matt McClean, and a one-hole defeat for Higgins to Weaver made it 3-3.
The other two matches went to the 19th, but Ireland could only win one.
Doyle beat Luke Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup legend Ian, to level the scores, but Rafferty fell at the first extra hole to Charlie Foster.
Italy, who were champions on home soil in 1999, claimed the title for the second time with a resounding 6-1 over Denmark in the gold medal match..
Spain won the European Ladies' Team Championship with a 4.5-2.5 win over France at Golf de Chantilly, where Ireland beat England 3-2 to finish fifth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
17 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork v Tipperary: What time, what channel and all you need to know about the All-Ireland SHC final
The All-Ireland Senior hurling championship final is upon us and it is an historic first final clash between Munster rivals Cork and Tipperary. It will be the sixth all-Munster final. The previous all-Munster finals were between Clare and Tipperary in 1997, Cork and Clare in 2013, Limerick and Waterford in 2020, Cork and Limerick in 2021 and last year's final between Clare and Cork. Cork secured their final spot after they defeated Dublin in the semi-final with Tipperary securing their final spot with a two point win over Kilkenny. Cork have reached the final for a second year in a row while Tipperary are in their first final since 2019. Cork will be hoping to bridge a 20 year gap since they last brought the Liam McCarthy Cup Leeside with the Premier county last winning the title in 2019. The two sides have already met three times this year with Cork winning twice to Tipperary's one win. Tipp won their league clash 2-22 to 1-21 in FBD Semple Stadium in February with Cork claiming the league final in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh 3-24 to 0-23 in April with Cork claiming the Munster round robin 4-27 to 0-24 in Páirc Uí Chaoimh also in April. Can Cork end their long wait to win the Liam McCarthy Cup or can Tipp bring the title back to the Premier County? Here's everything you need to know. Where and when is it on? The game will take place on Sunday July 20 in Croke Park with a throw-in time of 3.30pm. Where can I watch the game? The game will be shown live on RTÉ Two and BBC with coverage kicking off at 2.15pm. As well as that, you can follow the action as it happens with Examiner Sport's liveblog on Sunday afternoon. For those who are unable to get their hands on a ticket to the final, the Rebel's Fanzone is returning to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The tickets for the event are free and will be available from Thursday at 7.30am. Who's the referee? Galway's Liam Gordon will be taking charge of the All-Ireland SHC final. This is Gordon's first senior final having taken charge of the 2019 U20 final between Cork and Tipperary, the 2020 Joe McDonagh final, the 2024 Munster hurling final and the 2025 AIB All-Ireland Senior club final. To date this season Gordon has been the man in the middle for Clare v Cork and Limerick v Cork in the Munster Championship, the Leinster championship clash between Antrim and Dublin and the All-Ireland quarter-final between Dublin and Limerick. The final will be the 18th Liam McCarthy cup game that Gordon will be in charge of since he first took up the whistle in 2020. Gordon's umpires will be Dublin's Seán Stack and Waterford's Thomas Walsh with Stack the standby referee. The sideline official will be Antrim's Colm McDonald and Wexford's Dickie Murphy will be the Hawk-Eye Official. What can I read about and listen to on Follow the build up to the final from our reporters and columnists in our dedicated All-Ireland Hurling Final hub. *** Anthony Daly, TJ Ryan and Mark Landers will be building up to the final with a special podcast recording on Wednesday. They will be joined by a special Tipperary guest to preview the historic first All-Ireland final meeting between the two sides. *** Therese O'Callaghan speaks to the Glen Rovers man about captaincy, the Rebels support and the traditional Tipperary rivalry. Watch here. Read More Keegan pivotal in helping Ryan find balance between leading and managing
The 42
18 minutes ago
- The 42
Are the Wallabies good enough to take down the Lions?
THE WALLABIES PUTTING Will Skelton and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii up for media alongside each other today in Brisbane was a good reminder of the starpower they still have. Skelton is a big personality, the kind of fella you hate to play against because he chirps away all game, but also the kind of fella you'd love on your team. 'Usually when I'm talking, it's trying to hide that I'm tired!' said Skelton today ahead of what should be a big bout of verbals in the Lions' direction on Saturday. 'When I'm talking, I'm not thinking about breathing, so that helps. I'd rather people hear me talk than hear my heavy breathing on the mic.' Suaalii has become the poster boy for Australian rugby since his switch from league last year. Having played union in his school days, he adapted impressively in his first campaign with the Wallabies last autumn and will be a key man at outside centre in the coming weeks. Some in the Australian media have suggested that he is the man to 'save' rugby union Down Under but while Suaalii understands his role in representing the game, he says this is not about him. 'It's a team sport, it's not just me,' said the 21-year-old. ' I don't really buy into, you know, who's going to save this, who's going to do this.' The Wallabies duo enjoyed getting a dig in at their boss, Joe Schmidt. 35-year-old James O'Connor was recalled to the Wallabies squad on Friday, 12 years on from being at out-half against the Lions in 2013, then got a bad cut on the face in his very first training session. 'I think that was Joe Schmidt!' said Skelton with a laugh. 'No, I think he just got a rogue pad, it wasn't too bad. It was funny… day one, split eye, what a story.' Jokes aside, Schmidt has led the Wallabies' recovery from the lowest of low ebbs with the 2023 World Cup debacle under Eddie Jones. They have improved greatly in the last year, but it's impossible to ignore local pessimism about the Lions series. This has been pitched as Australian rugby's chance to grab the public sporting consciousness Down Under and show that the Wallabies are still among the sport's top dogs. In such a crowded sporting landscape, with the NRL and AFL leading the way, Australians don't have time for mediocrity. Advertisement Will Skelton clashes with Scotland's Jamie Ritchie last year. Craig Watson / INPHO Craig Watson / INPHO / INPHO It will arguably be Schmidt's greatest achievement if he beats Andy Farrell's Lions in this series, simply because of where he and his coaching staff started with them. The optimists in Aussie rugby are pointing to last year's steadily-improving performances as cause for positivity ahead of Saturday's first Test at Suncorp Stadium. After beating Wales twice last July, Schmidt's men overcame Georgia, then won just once in their six Rugby Championship games. A 67-27 hammering at Argentina's hands was the low point but the Aussies were highly competitive in a few other games, as well as beating the Pumas on Argentinian soil a week before that thrashing. Their autumn was better, a thrilling win over England at Twickenham followed by another victory over the Welsh. They were a clear second best in defeat to Scotland, but ran Ireland close in Dublin as Schmidt's clever plan nearly worked to perfection. Their only game since was the narrow win over Fiji two weekends ago in Newcastle, when they failed to take full advantage of a good start and found themselves needing a last-gasp try to win it. That performance saw Australian expectations dip again, but there's no doubt Schmidt hid his hand so soon before the first Test. He will have a good plan for the Lions. The Fiji game was a valuable exercise in getting the likes of Suaalii and wing Max Jorgensen up and running after injuries, while there were plenty of glimpses of smart play amid the errors. Skelton's power and size were missed up front, as well as his fighting spirit and slick handling. 'Ready to go,' said Skelton today, saying he has overcome his calf injury. It's a huge boost for the Wallabies, who are also hoping to have back row Rob Valetini – another big bopper of a carrier and tackler – back from the injury that kept him out of the Fiji game. There is more doubt around Valetini, whose directness and contact work would be hugely missed. Clever, controlling scrum-half Jake Gordon, another who was absent against the Fijians, is back available. The fact that the Wallabies have had so little time together this year, as well as Schmidt doing his experimentation last year, means their matchday 23 should have a familiar look to it. Tom Wright will continue at fullback and though the Lions probably think they can stress him with their kicking game, the Brumbies man is capable of shredding defences if he gets time and space in transition. The Wallabies hope to have Rob Valetini back from injury. Ashley Crowden / INPHO Ashley Crowden / INPHO / INPHO The highly-rated 20-year-old Jorgensen is expected to start on one wing and should be a big threat to the Lions. Harry Potter started on the other side against Fiji but there has been a push for the relentless Dylan Pietsch – so impressive for Western Force against the Lions – to get into the Test side. Suaalii will combine with Len Ikitau in midfield, a dangerous centre pairing who bring major athleticism. The towering Suaalii is among the best aerial players in rugby so the Lions will be expecting him to come calling in that area. Gordon was first-choice scrum-half last year, with Tate McDermott backing him up, while Noah Lolesio's injury should open the door for Ben Donaldson to start at out-half. O'Connor is coming from a long way back and while 22-year-old Tom Lynagh is talented, he only has three caps and is just back from a hand injury. Donaldson would be the characteristic Schmidt pick and the Western Force man has improved his running game in recent seasons, as well as providing solidity at number 10. Angus Bell and James Slipper will combine as a strong loosehead duo, Allan Alaalatoa is the main man at tighthead, and Jeremy Williams and Nick Frost are valued in the Wallabies' second row. Williams is more of an enforcer, while Frost is a long-limbed lineout jumper with the ability to make pacy breaks. They will combine with Skelton as the locking trio. At hooker, Schmidt must pick between the solid Matt Faessler, revived Dave Porecki, and up-and-coming Billy Pollard. One of the more experienced men will likely start at number two. Harry Wilson is the Wallabies' number eight and the outstanding Fraser McReight will lead their challenge of the Lions from the seven shirt. McReight gave a showstopping performance in defeat to Ireland last autumn and his ability to wreck the Lions' possession at the breakdown, as well as carrying powerfully, makes him perhaps Schmidt's most important player. Valetini will make up the back row trio if he's fit, otherwise Langi Gleeson may start again at blindside having done so against Fiji. There is some uncertainty around the Wallabies' bench, which could include the heavyweight tighthead Taniela Tupou, who hasn't been in brilliant form but can move bodies like few others. The back-up out-half and outside back picks will be intriguing. The reality is that Schmidt doesn't have anything remotely close to the options Farrell does in his Lions squad. The Wallabies boss will need his trusted core players to come up with something close to their maximum potential to win this series. And it feels like getting off to a victorious start in Brisbane this weekend is everything. Many of their own fans doubt that the Wallabies are good enough to pull this off, but they are happy to be underdogs. 'I love it,' said Skelton. 'We love it, yeah. 'The Lions have played some great footie and we want to showcase what we can do on Saturday.'
Irish Times
39 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Saturday slot for Irish Oaks means no clash with major sporting competition
Sticking with a Saturday slot for the Juddmonte Irish Oaks looks like paying off in profile terms for the Curragh this weekend. With the All-Ireland hurling final taking place in Croke Park on Sunday, as well as the final round of the Open Championship golf occurring in Portrush, the fillies' Classic is spared having to compete for attention with two of the biggest sporting occasions of the year. The Oaks has been staged on a Saturday since 2013, unlike the Curragh Derby, which was moved to a Sunday date two years ago when included in Tote World Pool betting for the first time. The undercard for last month's colts' Classic came under fire for having no other Group race bar the Derby and for containing six handicaps to facilitate World Pool betting. That won't be the case this Saturday with a trio of quality Group Two races backing up the Oaks. READ MORE Whether that translates into increased attendances remains to be seen, although the Curragh's chief executive, Brian Kavanagh, believes it is a case of different programmes for different purposes. 'The card on Saturday will be laced with quality – probably quality more than quantity – and we've three Group Two races supporting the Group One race. 'When you look at the Derby card, they were high-class handicaps and of very strong quality throughout. Whatever level you put on, you want it to be good quality. There is definitely a contrast, and maybe the answer lies somewhere in between,' he said. Saturday's race is the feature event of Europe's weekend action and although there is also racing at the Curragh on Sunday, there are no plans to switch the Oaks date. 'It's not the strongest Saturday in terms of UK fixtures. It comes after a big weekend last weekend and the Eclipse before that,' added Kavanagh. 'There are pros and cons between Saturday and Sunday fixtures. We find corporate sales, and food and beverage sales tend to be stronger on the Saturday. Sunday leans more towards a family crowd. It works well that way. The complexion of the race is likely to become clearer after the latest acceptance stage, although the fourth Classic of the season looks likely to be dominated by a single filly. The Epsom winner Minnie Hauk could be short odds to become the 16th horse to complete the Oaks double. Minnie Hauk ridden by Ryan Moore (left) on their way to winning the Betfred Oaks at Epsom Downs Racecourse. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire High-profile opposition looks like being scarce on the ground with Co Tipperary trainer Paddy Twomey the latest to skip the race with his high-class filly Catalina Delcarpio. Third in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot behind Garden of Eden, Catalina Delcarpio is set to appear next in the Blandford Stakes over 10 furlongs in September's Irish Champions Festival. 'We though she just didn't see out the mile and a half at Ascot in a true run race,' Twomey reported. Catalina Delcarpio's regular jockey Billy Lee look like facing a lengthy period on the injury sidelines having broken his collarbone in a fall at Limerick on Saturday. Lee, runner-up to Colin Keane in the jockeys' championship for the last three years, had been favourite to take the title this season following his rival's appointment as Juddmonte's retained rider last month. With Keane facing a two-week suspension starting later this month, and looking at increased travel in Britain and France when he returns, the race to be champion jockey in Ireland looks wide open. 'Billy has broken his collarbone, but it is a clean break and hopefully he could be back in about four weeks,' said Lee's agent Kevin O'Ryan. 'He's in good spirits and is looking on the bright side. Typical of Billy he said it could be a lot worse.' Bookmaker betting on the race for the championship has Chris Hayes and Dylan Browne McMonagle also in the mix. Hayes is currently serving a four-day suspension for careless riding but Keane and Browne McMonagle will be in action on day Two of the Killarney festival on Tuesday evening. Both will line up in the featured fillies' handicap, although trend followers will be siding with trainer Jessica Harrington in this. She has won the race for the last four years, including with last season's winner Mo Ghille Mar. She is back again for another crack at the prize under jockey Shane Foley and is on the same handicap mark as when successfully making all the running a year ago. Earlier Oiche Rua will try to confirm Limerick form on Saturday with Spanish Temptress in another handicap despite carrying a 7lb penalty. Tuesday afternoon's action is over jumps at Downpatrick where Willie Mullins unveils the well-bred newcomer Closutton in the bumper. The mare is a full sister to the Grade One winner Airlie Beach.
