SALLY (4th), RACHEL (7th)
AS PACE HEATS UP
IN FLORIDA WITH ONE
ROUND TO GO

Sally Watson matched the par of 72 in the third round – but so hot was the scoring in the Harder Hall Women’s Invitational tournament that the 15-year-old Scottish girl actually lost ground on the leaders!
But Miss Watson, pictured right, still has reasons to be very cheerful on her debut in the event at Harder Hall Country Club, Sebring, which tees off the annual Orange Blossom Tour in Florida.
Sally, beaten finalist in the British girls championship last year when she won the Daily Telegraph girls’ national final at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, is lying fourth going into the final round after earlier rounds of 72 and 73.
She has a 54-hole tally of one-over-par 217.
Another great British prospect in the top 10 is 17-year-old Rachel Connor from Oldham, daughter of the Scottish born Manchester Golf Club professional, Brian Connor.
Rachel is in seventh place after scores of 70, 78 and 74 for 222.
Leah Wigger (University of Virigina), who has led the field since the first day, finished her third round with a five under par 67 which tied the course record set by Beth Bauer in 1999.
However Arizona University’s Alison Walshe had finished earlier and set a new course record at 66. With five birdies and an eagle, Walshe jumped into fifth place in the tournament - but 10 strokes back of the leader.


LEAH LEADS BY FIVE
Wigger extended her overnight two-stroke lead to a commanding five-shot advantage with 18 holes to play. She began with three birdies and a bogey on her first nine.
Her strength this week seems to be the ability to follow a bogey with a birdie – which she did twice in the third round. She birdied the final three holes to add a 67 to her opening scores of 69 and 73, putting her clear of the field on seven-under-par 209.0
Southeastern Conference rivals Jacqui Concolino of Vanderbilt and Candace Schepperle of Auburn both shot under par – Jacqui a 69, and Candace a 70 – but, just like Sally Watson, they could not make up any ground on the leader
Sally’s older sister, Rebecca, now competing in the Second Flight after scores of 83 and 86, returned to form with a third-round 75 for 244.

HOW THEY STAND WITH ONE ROUND TO GO
Par 216 (3 x 72). Players from US unless stated
209 Leah Wigger 69 73 67.
214 Jacqui Concolino 72 73 69, Candace Schepperle 70 74 70.
217 Sally Watson (Sco) 72 73 72.
219 Alison Walshe 78 75 66.
221 Megan Greham 77 74 70.
222 Rachel Connor (Eng) 70 78 74.
223 Lauren Hunt 78 72 73.
224 Lucy Nunn 76 73 75.
225 Tonya Choate 81 70 74, Diane Lang 73 77 75, Garrett Phillips 75 76 74.
226 Benedikte Brynestad-Grotve 76 77 73, Isabelle Lendl 75 76 75.
Other scores:
228 Carol S Thompson 80 74 74.
244 Rebecca Watson (Sco) 83 86 75.