Leona Maguire could not take advantage of Jennifer Kupcho’s defeat as she fell to Christina Kim’s final-hole birdie and crashed out of the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play in Las Vegas.

After following a win over Ally Ewing with a halved match with Kupcho in her first two round-robin matches at Shadow Creek, the Co Cavan star was tied for the group lead with Kupcho heading into the final round of matches.

Looking to defeat three-time Solheim Cup star Kim to keep alive her chances progressing to the last 16, things were looking good when Ewing won three of the last four holes to beat Kupcho 1-up.

Maguire needed a win over Kim to progress to the knockout stages or a halved match to force a playoff with Ewing.

But she was not at her very best and lost a tight encounter 1-up when Kim rolled in a 12 footer for birdie at the last, ensuring that Ewing topped the group with 2 points to earn a last-16 clash with Jenny Coleman today.

Scores

It was a tough blow for Maguire, who was 2-up after four holes but then lost five of the next 10 to find herself 2-down with four to play.

She won the 17th with a birdie two but while she hit a great third to eight feet below the hole at the par-five 18th, she never got to putt as Kim knocked in her 12 footer for birdie to clinch her lone win from three matches and ensure Ewing topped the group.

It was an opportunity missed for Maguire to take another big American Solheim Cup scalp.

Four Europeans made it through to the last 16 with Bronte Law taking three American scalps to set up a round of 16 clash with Danielle Kang

Mel Reid now faces Minjee Lee, Anna Nordqvist takes on Ariya Jutanugarn, and Sophia Popov meets Inbee Park.

In the remaining matches, Korea’s Jenny Shin faces compatriot Eun-Hee Ji, Brittany Altomare faces China’s Shanshan Feng and ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit takes on Japan’s Nasa Hataoka.

Meanwhile, Banbridge’s Olivia Mehaffey opened with a four-over 77 on her professional debut in the Symetra Tour’s Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship in Florida. Scores

The former Arizona State star made two birdies, two bogeys and two double-bogey sixes to share 74th place, a shot outside the projected cut line as Samantha Wagner shot  69 to lead by one stroke.

BRONTE LAW TAKES DOWN THREE AMERICANS, SETS UP ROUND-OF-16 FACEOFF WITH DANIELLE KANG

In a preview of September’s Solheim Cup, England’s Bronte Law took down three Team USA hopefuls to survive group play and reach the Round of 16 at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek. Her 6-and-5 win on Friday over Annie Park was tied for the widest margin of victory on Friday, the final day of group play. After a tie with Amy Olson on Wednesday and a 2-and-1 win over Austin Ernst on Thursday, Law moved into the Round of 16 with a big statement that she’s ready to take on Team USA at Inverness Club.

“You still have to execute the shots, but obviously feeling that little bit of momentum shift is what you have to grab when you're in match play,” said Law, who won eight of 13 holes in her match with Park. “I can sense it when it's there. I think that's one of the things that I like the most, it's the quality that you kind of need to have in that situation.”

Law’s run against her American foes will continue on Saturday when she takes on Las Vegas’ own Danielle Kang. Kang handily beat her close friend Lizette Salas on Friday, winning the first hole to immediately grab a 1-up lead and cruising to a bittersweet 4-and-3 win.

“Of course I want to win whoever I'm playing, but it's just different. It's a different feeling, especially with Lizette,” said Kang, who has yet to trail in the competition. “Every time she missed a putt, any time she missed I'd go, ‘Oh, go in.’ My heart just kind of dropped because I don't ever want her to miss putts. I'm not wishing that on her or anything.”

Kang is the only player who went 3-0-0 in the group-play format and with her hometown knowledge of Shadow Creek, she will be a formidable opponent for Law. But Law is a fiery competitor, particularly when a head-to-head win is at stake.

“She is American, so I'm running with that trend at the moment. Obviously, Danielle is one of the best players in the world, so there is nothing more to say than that,” added Law with a wry smile. “I'm still going to go out and play the game that I've been playing. I think when I'm on, I'm good enough to beat anyone. And if you can't back yourself, then that's all I can say.”

Unheralded American Jenny Coleman continued her lucky Vegas roll, draining a par putt on 18 in the day’s final match to tie with Ashleigh Buhai and reach the Round of 16. Coleman built a 3-up lead through six holes, but Buhai chipped away at the deficit and tied the match with a birdie at No. 11. Buhai nearly chipped in for birdie from the front of the green at 18 to force a playoff, but two pars gave the group victory to Coleman.

“We'd been back and forth all day hitting like good shot, getting rewarded, hitting a good shot, not getting rewarded. You name it, it could happen,” said Coleman, who will face Ally Ewing in the Round of 16. “Just being very patient and hoping you get a little luck.”

Six matches went to sudden-death playoffs to set Saturday’s match-play bracket. The longest playoff saw Jenny Shin knock out her fellow Las Vegas resident Alison Lee with a par on the fourth playoff hole. Anna Nordqvist made a two-putt par on the first playoff hole to eliminate No. 1 seed Jin Young Ko, after beating her by a 5-and-3 margin earlier in the day. 

“I played really well this morning. She is a World No. 1, so I knew she was going to be a really tough match,” said Nordqvist. “Part of me felt like I didn't have anything to lose because I knew I had to get my point to have a chance at a potential playoff, so just very proud of myself.”

With a par on the second playoff hole, Brittany Altomare reached the Round of 16 over Sei Young Kim, who won the 2017 Lorena Ochoa Match-Play and is the Tour’s most recent match-play winner. 

 

GROUP-PLAY DAY THREE RESULTS

Group 1 – Anna Nordqvist def. Jin Young Ko, 5 and 3; Caroline Masson tied with Natalie Gulbis 

Group 2 – Inbee Park def. Gaby Lopez, 2 and 1; Celine Boutier def. Jennifer Chang, 3 and 1

Group 3 – Yu Liu def. Ayako Uehara, 4 and 3; Sei Young Kim def. Brittany Altomare, 2 and 1

Group 4 – Brooke Henderson tied with Angela Stanford; Ashleigh Buhai tied with Jenny Coleman

Group 5 – Madelene Sagstrom tied with Albane Valenzuela; Danielle Kang def. Lizette Salas, 4 and 3

Group 6 – Jenny Shin def. Alison Lee, 4 and 2; Eun-Hee Ji def. Megan Khang, 1 up

Group 7 – Patty Tavatanakit def. Stacy Lewis, 5 and 4; Mi Hyang Lee tied with Sarah Kemp

Group 8 – Cheyenne Knight def. Jaye Marie Green, 1 up; Minjee Lee def. Moriya Jutanugarn, 4 and 3

Group 9 – Mel Reid def. Hannah Green, 1 up; Azahara Munoz def. Gerina Piller, 2 and 1

Group 10 – Nasa Hataoka tied with Mi Jung Hur; Jasmine Suwannapura def. Jing Yan, 4 and 3

Group 11 – Mirim Lee def. So Yeon Ryu, 4 and 3; Eun-Hee Ji def. Ryann O’Toole, 1 up

Group 12 – Austin Ernst def. Amy Olson, 5 and 4; Bronte Law def. Annie Park, 6 and 5

Group 13 – Ally Ewing def. Jennifer Kupcho, 1 up; Christina Kim def. Leona Maguire, 1 up

Group 14 – Shanshan Feng def. Jeongeun Lee6, 1 up; Pajaree Anannarukarn def. Brittany Lincicome, 2 and 1

Group 15 – Sophia Popov def. Sung Hyun Park, 6 and 5; Su Oh def. Hee Young Park, 2 up

Group 16 – Ariya Jutanugarn tied with Carlota Ciganda; Sarah Schmelzel def. Lauren Stephenson, 3 and 2

 

PLAYOFF RESULTS

Group 1 – Anna Nordqvist eliminated Jin Young Ko with a par on the first playoff hole

Group 3 – Brittany Altomare eliminated Sei Young Kim with a par on the second playoff hole

Group 6 – Jenny Shin eliminated Alison Lee with a par on the fourth playoff hole 

Group 9 – Mel Reid eliminated Azahara Munoz with a birdie on the first playoff hole

Group 11 – Eun-Hee Ji eliminated So Yeon Ryu with a par on the second playoff hole 

Group 16 – Ariya Jutanugarn eliminated Sarah Schmelzel with a par on the first playoff hole

 

FINAL GROUP-PLAY POINTS (first player listed is group winner)

Group 1 – Anna Nordqvist, 2; Jin Young Ko, 2; Caroline Masson, 1.5; Natalie Gulbis, .5

Group 2 – Inbee Park, 2.5; Celine Boutier, 2; Gaby Lopez, 1; Jennifer Chang, .5

Group 3 – Brittany Altomare, 2; Sei Young Kim, 2; Yu Liu, 1.5; Ayako Uehara, .5

Group 4 – Jenny Coleman, 2.5; Ashleigh Buhai, 1.5; Angela Stanford, 1.5; Brooke Henderson, .5

Group 5 – Danielle Kang, 3; Lizette Salas, 2; Madelene Sagstrom, .5; Albane Valenzuela, .5

Group 6 – Jenny Shin, 2; Alison Lee, 2; Megan Khang, 1; Hyo Joo Kim, 1

Group 7 – Patty Tavatanakit, 2.5; Sarah Kemp, 1.5; Stacy Lewis, 1.5; Mi Hyang Lee, .5

Group 8 – Minjee Lee, 2.5; Moriya Jutanugarn, 2; Cheyenne Knight, 1; Jaye Marie Green, .5

Group 9 – Azahara Munoz, 2; Mel Reid, 2; Hannah Green, 1; Gerina Piller, 1

Group 10 – Nasa Hataoka, 2.5; Jasmine Suwannapura, 2; Mi Jung Hur, 1; Jing Yan, .5

Group 11 – Eun-Hee Ji, 2; So Yeon Ryu, 2; Mirim Lee, .5; Ryann O’Toole, .5

Group 12 – Bronte Law, 2.5; Amy Olson, 1.5; Austin Ernst, 1; Annie Park, 1

Group 13 – Ally Ewing, 2; Jennifer Kupcho, 1.5; Leona Maguire, 1.5; Christina Kim, 1

Group 14 – Shanshan Feng, 2; Pajaree Anannarukarn, 1.5; Jeongeun Lee6, 1.5; Brittany Lincicome, 1

Group 15 – Sophia Popov, 2.5; Hee Young Park, 1.5; Su Oh, 1; Sung Hyun Park, 1

Group 16 – Ariya Jutanugarn, 2; Sarah Schmelzel, 2; Lauren Stephenson, 1.5; Carlota Ciganda, 0