LINNEA STROM LEADS GIRLS AT JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL

 TADIOTTO AND NIEMANN LEAD BOYS

ON FOUR-UNDER 67

DAVID MACKINTOSH REPORTS FROM FLORIDA

CORAL GABLES, Miami: Belgium-born Giovanni Tadiotto and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann sprinted to the first round lead, tied at four-under par 67, closely followed by Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti and Czech Republic’s Vitek Novak on 68 at the 51st Junior Orange Bowl International golf tournament over the Biltmore course.
England's Jamie Dick, a member at Forest Hills Golf Club, Coleford in Gloucestershire, is joint ninth with a one-under 70.
The other England boy in the field, Daniel List (Wentworth)

hurt his back and withdrew after six holes. Apparently he was having back issues in the practice round but decided he'd try and compete.

Unfortunately it did not work out.

In the Girls' division, Sweden’s Linnea Strom posted also 67 to lead Colombia’s Maria Hoyos and France’s Agathe Laisne by a stroke.  
Germany-based Scottish U18 girls champion Fiona Liddell, dauther of the Scots-born pro, Stephen Liddell, at Schloss Vornholz, had a 75 and is T12 while Scottish U21 open girls champion India Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, had a 78 for a share of 23rd place.

Under sunny skies and a mild breeze six girls completed the opening round at even-par or better; in the Boys, 21 players posted 71 or lower.   

Strom finished 3^rd in the tournament last year, 5^th in 2012 and has high hopes for her final year before taking up a U.S. university place in 2015.

“I’m really very pleased with the score,” she said, explaining that although her iron game was not as sharp as she’d have liked, she was able to overcome some errors with a sound short game.  

“I missed a number of greens but my chipping and putting made up for everything. I was able to get up and down from around greens and from several bunkers. It’s a start that gives me confidence.”

Strom dropped just one stroke to par all day, at the 7^th (her 16^th) and proved her quality by bouncing back with consecutive closing birdies.

Tadiotto, 16, whose Italian father is a teaching professional in Belgium, is working hard to understand the subtle breaks of the Biltmore’s Bermuda-grass greens and was thoroughly satisfied with his day’s play. “I hit the ball well, but I missed four greens and was able to chip and putt three of these, so my practice is paying off.”  

 Tadiotto cemented his position with consecutive birdies at the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th.

Niemann, a 16-year old from Santiago, Chile, was rock steady, just one bogey, completing both sides of this famed Donald Ross-design test in 2-under par. 
 Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti, 18, seemed to be coasting to a stunning round after opening with an eagle-3 and reaching 5-under par thru 7, but lost momentum on the back nine to card 68. 
Another Argentine player, Matias Lezcano, 18, also challenged strongly for the lead, reaching 4-under with four holes to play, but from there dropped three shots to fall into a seven-way tie for 9^th.   
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Yardage of courses: Biltmore GC. Boys - 6,742yds: Girls - 6,089yds
BOYS 
  Par 71
67 Giovanni Tadiotto (Belgium), Joaquin Niemann (Chile)
68 Alejandro Tosti (Argentina), Vitek Novak (Czech Republic)

SELECTED SCORES
70 Jamie Dick (England) (T9)
Retired after six holes: Daniel List (England), back injury.   

GIRLS
Par 71
67 Linnea Strom (Sweden) 
68 Maria Hoyos (Colombia), Agathe Laisne (France)
69 Juwon Jeong (South Korea)
70 Renate Grimstad (Norway)
71 Leonie Harm (Germany)

SELECTED SCORES
75 Fiona Liddell (Scotland) (T13)
78 India Clyburn (England) (T23)  
 

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