SALLY WATSON JOINT SIXTH
AT HALFWAY IN
JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL

Edinburgh 15-year-old Sally Watson is halfway towards improving on last year’s joint ninth place in the Junior Orange Bowl girls’ championship at Coral Gables, Florida.
After 36 holes of the four-round event, the South Queensferry girl who is a student at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is sharing sixth place with former tennis ace Ivan Lendl’s daughter Isabelle Lendl (third last year) and jenny Shin from California.
They are all on the four-over-par 148 mark – five shots behind joint leaders Lindy Duncan (Florida) and Maude-Aimee Le Blanc (Canada).
Sally has had rounds of 76 and 72 over the par-72, 6,299yd course. In her second round, she had a double bogey at the fifth and dropped another shot at the eighth to be out in three-over 38.
Then Miss Watson showed the stuff that took her to the British girls final earlier this year and won the Daily Telegraph national girls’ title by birdieing three long holes on the inward half – the 13th, 15th and 18th for 34 home and a par-matching 72.
Germany-based professional’s daughter Florentyna Park, a Curtis Cup reserve in the summer, is sharing 13th place on 151 after scores of 77 and 74. She took had a double bogey on the outward half – at the ninth – but was three-under-par for the inward nine, with birdies at the 13th, 17th and 18th.
Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow from Antrim, a student at the Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head, South Carolina, has scored 78 and 76 for joint 22nd place on 154 at the halfway stage.
Stephanie had only one birdie, at the short 14th in halves of 37 and 39.
Rachel Connor from Oldham, daughter of the Scottish-born Manchester Golf Club professional Brian Connor, improved by nine shots with a 74 for 157 and 29th place. Rachel highlighted her card with an eagle 3 at the long 13th in halves of 37.
Scottish Under-18 girls champion Roseanne Niven, who will be enrolling at the University of California Berkeley in the New Year, continued to struggle with an 82 for 165 and joint 34th place. Once again Roseanne had an early setback – a triple bogey 6 at the short second and never recovered in halves of 40 and 42. She did birdie the ninth.
In the Junior Orange Bowl boys’ championship over 72 holes, Morgan Hoffman from New Jersey and Sihwan Kim (California) are sharing the lead on seven-under-par 135, one shot ahead of the first-round leader, Peter Uihlein (Florida).
The top British player is England’s Sam Hutsby in joint ninth place on 143 with scores of 74 and 69.
Sam, winner of The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy at Dundonald earlier this year, birdied the first, fourth and 10tth in halves of 33 (two under par) and 36 (level par).
Rhys Enoch from Wales I sharing 32nd place on 149 after a second-round 75 which included a double bogey at the 11th but birdies at the 17th and 18th for the second day in a row.
Darren Renwick from Worthing, winner of the Scottish Under-16 boys’ open stroke-play championship last year, had a dreadful finish – double bogeys at the 16th and 17th, for a 76 and joint 35th place on 150.
The third English representative, Luke Goddard, had a 75 for 153 and a share of 42nd place. Luke too had a double bogey at the 17th.

LEADING SCORES

BOYS (Par 142: 2 x 71)
Players from US unless stated
135 Morgan Hoffman 67 68, Sihwan Kim 71 64.
136 Peter Uihlein 67 71.
139 Jhared Hack 72 67, Sergio Franky (Colombia) 73 66
141 Victor Dubuisson (France) 71 70, David Chung 70 71.
142 Johnny Widmer (Cayman Islands) 75 67.
143 Sam Hutsby (England) 74 69, Bud Cauley 73 70, Benjamin Martin (Trinidad) 74 69, Tommy Mou (Taiwan) 74 69.
Other scores:
146 Sean Einhaus (Germany) 76 70 (jt 16th).
149 Rhys Enoch (Wales) 74 75 (jt 32nd).
150 Darren Renwick (England) 74 76 (jt 35th).
153 Luke Goddard (England) 78 75 (jt 42nd).

GIRLS (Par 144: 2 x 72)
Players from US unless stated.
143 Lindy Duncan 71 72, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Canada) 75 69.
144 Vicky Hurst 76 68, Jessica Korda (Czech Rep) 72 72.
145 Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) 72 73.
148 Sally Watson (Scotland) 76 72, Isabella Lendl 74 74, Jenny Shin 77 71.
Other scores:
1561 Florentyna Parker (England) 77 74 (jt 13th).
154 Stephanie Meadow (Ireland) 76 76 (jt 22nd).
157 Rachel Connor (England) 83 74 (29th).
165 Roseanne Niven (Scotland) 83 82 (jt 34th).