Ellon teenager toils in Lady Jaguar Invitational

OUTWARD HALF OF 42 BY
MICHELE THOMSON (80)
IN LADY JAGUAR
INVITATIONAL AT AUGUSTA

North of Scotland women’s champion Michele Thomson from Ellon had a double bogey 6 in a nightmare outward half of six-over-par 42 in the first round of the Lady Jaguar Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Forest Hills Golf Club, Augusta in Georgia today.
Michele, pictured right, a freshman student at Jacksonville State University, finished with a disappointing eight-over-par 80 with only two birdies on her card – at the second and 11th. She bogeyed three of the last five holes and is lying joint 17th overnight in a field of 40 players over what is a tough women’s course of some 6,094yd with a par of 72.
A one-over-par round of 73 by Joanna Klatten (Georgia State) was good enough to lead the field by one shot.
Joint second on 74 was Dublin girl Dawn-Marie Conaty (Memphis) who had birdies at the fifth, 13th and 16th.
Two English-born players are in the top 10.
Portia Abbott from Wiltshire, a team-mate of Michele Thomson, is sharing sixth place after a76 which included birdies at the fifth, ninth, 14th and 18.
Claire Starkie (Georgia State) from Skipton, Yorkshire is in joint eighth place after a 77 which included only one birdie, at the 10th.
Georgia State (303) are leading the team event from Augusta State (308).
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
73 Joanna Klatten (Georgia State).
74 Dawn-marie Conaty (Memphis), Amanda Smith(Augusta State).
Other scores:
76 Portia Abbott (Jacksonville State) (jt 6th).
77 Claire Starkey (Georgia State) (jt 8th).
80 Michele Thomson (Jacksonville State) (jt 17th).
LEADING TEAMS
303 Georgia State.
308 Augusta State.
311 East Carolina State.
317 Memphis.
321 Jacksonville State.
325 Florida International.
331 Arkansas State.