Leona Maguire opens up with 'stress-free' 69 at Women's PGA ...

After clinching her second LPGA Tour win on Sunday, the new world No 12 hit every fairway and missed just two greens as she made four birdies and two bogeys in demanding early conditions to share the clubhouse lead with Japan’s Ayaka Furue.

“I hit every fairway and nearly every green, which in a Major championship is as stress-free as you can make it,” said Maguire, who made up for bogeys at the eighth and 13th with birdies at the sixth, seventh, 11th and 18th. After an energy-sapping win at the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday, she’s determined to stay as fresh as possible for what will be a demanding week in New Jersey.

“I think it’s just managing energy levels,” she said. “I played early yesterday and had a nap and back at it today. So probably another nap this afternoon, and we’ll be ready to go for tomorrow. It’s a tough golf course. You have to be physically and mentally sharp. So it’s a case of being really disciplined out there. And for the most part, I did a good job of that today.”

Meanwhile, Shane Lowry’s low expectations paid off in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut, where he opened with a bogey-free, six-under-par 64 to share second place in the clubhouse with Chez Reavie, just two strokes behind Keegan Bradley, who made nine birdies in a 62.

“I didn’t really expect much today,” Lowry said. “Just go out there and try and hit some good shots and make a few birdies and see where it left me. Maybe it’s a frame of mind I probably need to get myself into a little bit more.”

At the BMW International in Munich, Holywood’s Tom McKibbin continued his love affair with Germany when he made five birdies in a four-under 68 to lie just two shots behind leaders Edoardo Molinari, Adrien Saddier and Rikuya Hoshino at Golfclub München Eichenried.

McKibbin, who won his maiden title at the Porsche European Open in Hamburg two weeks ago, was tied for 10th when play was suspended for the day due to lightning, with Kinsale’sJohn Murphy at the back of the field after an 82.

At the Open de Bretagne, Dermot McElroy and Niall Kearney were tied 17th, just four shots behind Swede Rikard Karlberg, after opening with one-under 69s.

In the Amateur Championship at Southport and Ainsdale, Laytown and Bettystown’s Alex Maguire beat Portugal’s Daniel Rodrigues on the 23rd to set up a quarter-final clash with England’s Frank Kennedy, who beat Carton House’s Marc Boucher one-up in the round of 16.

FRIDAY’S GOLF SCHEDULE

BMW International, 11.30am Travelers Championship, 6.0pm Amateur Championship, 8.15am Women's PGA Championship, 5.0pm (All live on Sky Sports)