Second event of Orange Blossom Tour in Florida

RACHEL LEADS BRITISH

PLAYERS IN FIRST

ROUND OF “SALLY”

England girl international Rachel Connor, 17-year-old daughter of Manchester Golf Club’s Scots-born professional, was only one shot off the lead at the end of the first round of the South Atlantic Ladies Amateur championship – better known as the “Sally” - at Oceanside Golf & Country Club, Ormond Beach in Florida.
Over 72 holes of stroke play, this is the second event of the annual Orange Blossom Tour for women amateurs in Florida.
Joint fourth, Rachel had a three-over-par 75 in far from easy scoring conditions, a 15 to 20mph cool north wind which made the 65 degree temperature "feel like 50" according to the locals. Three Americans shared the overnight lead on 74 and only 19 players in the field of 93 scored 80 or better. So, in that context, it was a very good round by young Miss Connor.
United States Curtis Cup player Virginia Grimes, 42, winner of this title in 1998 and again last year, had to settle for a 77, but that was still good enough to put her in joint eighth place overnight.
Sarah Carty from Dublin had a 78 and Emma Tipping from Sandiway, Cheshire did best of the touring Stirling University squad. She had an 80.
Three other Stirling students scored in the 80s - West of Scotland champion Claire-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) had an 82; Dubliner Rachel Cassidy, a member of The Island Golf Club, an 85, and former Angus women’s champion Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) an 88.
The last two of the Stirling contingent, Catherine Baines from England and Florida-born Courtnay Montgomery did not managed to break 100. Catherine scored 101 and Courtnay 103.

The championship field will be cut to the leading 36 and ties after the second round but everyone will continue to get a game, albeit in lower flights.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
(Players from US unless stated).

Par 72

74 Jessica Yadloczky. Kelly Calkin, Kathy Hartwiger.
75 Rachel Connor (Eng), Tonya Choate, Tiffany Chudy.
76 Natalie Sheary.
77 Alexandra Bodemann, Susan Choi, Virginia Grimes, Susan Nam.
78 Sarah Carty (Ire), Taffy Brower.
79 Kira Meixner (Can).
80 Emma Tipping (Eng), Jill Hardy (Can), C J Kim, Rebecca Kuhn, Miranda Orr.
Other scores included:
82 Claire-Marie Carlton (Sco), Carol Semple Thompson (US).
85 Rachel Cassidy (Ire).
88 Dawn Dewar (Sco).
101 Catherine Baines (Sco).

103 Courtnay Montgomery (US).