Maguire twins miss the cut in Portugal

Rebecca Codd led the Irish challenge but birdies at the last two holes weren’t enough to see Leona Maguire survive the cut in the ISPS Handa Portugal Ladies Open in Portugal.

Codd had an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys in five-under 67 that left her nine strokes adrift of leader Gwladys Nocera of France with a round to play.

But there was to be no Sunday joy for the 16-year old Maguire twins from Ballyconnell or Martina Gillen who shot rounds of 70 and 76 and missed the cut but three strokes..

As Lisa followed her opening 69 with a 78 to miss out by four shots on three over, twin sister Leona came up one stroke shy on even par despite following her 74 with a two-under 70.

Starting on the first, Leona went out in one-under 36 as she sandwiched a hatrick of birdies from the fifth between bogeys at the second and seventh.

A bogey at the par-three 16th all but put paid to her chances and while she made birdie fours at the par-five 17th and 18th, her 144 total proved to be one too stroke too many.

Lisa looked odds on to make the cut after her splendid opening effort but dropped three shots on the back nine at Campo Real near Lisbon and then saw her chances severely dented when she started for home with a triple bogey eight at the first.

Nocera shot a 68 to lead by a stroke on 12 under from South Africa’s Ashleigh Simon.