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Leona Maguire believes it's hard to get momentum as she's tied for 26th on two-under-par in Singapore

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - MARCH 04: Leona Maguire of Ireland looks on from the fifth hole during the Second Round of the HSBC Women's World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club on March 04, 2022 in Singapore. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

LEONA MAGUIRE feels she needs to be more consistent if she overtakes Amy Yang and world number one Jin Young Ko at halfway in the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore.

The cavan native has also admitted that she has struggled to produce momentum at the event after two bogeys in her last three holes left her six shots behind the duo.

Maguire recorded three birdies and three bogeys in a level par 72 on Sentosa Golf Club's Tanjong Course and will go into the weekend tied for 26th on two-under-par.

She also bogeyed the par-three third, birdied the ninth, 10th and 13th, but on the par-five 16th and the 18th dropped shots.

Maguire said "it was tricky"

"One way or the other, I feel like I hit a couple of shots in and got punished for them and didn't hit that bad of a shot.

"It's been hard to get some momentum on this golf course. I haven't given myself enough chances. I didn't quite play my best, and it was just a bit of a slow day, really."

Maguire made history last month after she became the first Irish woman to win a title on the LPGA Tour and also had a huge had in Team Europe's Solheim Cup win in 2021.

Leona Maguire of Team Europe celebrates with the Solheim Cup after winning over Team USA during day three of the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club on September 06, 2021 in Toledo, Ohio

The next event Maguire has her sights set is the Chevron Championship at Mission Hills in California on March 31.

"I mean, just more of the same," she said

Speaking about her strategy for the weekend she also added

"Trying to hit my irons a little bit better, hole a few more putts and see how we go."

"(The goal) is just to play consistent, try and get myself in contention as much as possible. I mean, take it one tournament at a time."

According to the Irish Independent Maguire has been hitting the sauna to acclimatise herself to the warm Asia temperatures of 32C and 82 pc humidity.

I mean, it's obviously never this hot in Ireland. So before I came over here, I did some sort of sauna work and stuff like that to prepare for it.

"But, yeah, I mean, just trying to stay in the shade as much as possible, drink plenty of water, electrolytes, all of that. So just managing energy levels will be key this week."

Maguire will need a big finish to catch the leader Ko Jin-young who leads with a score of -8.

Play will resume at 23:30 Friday(London time)