USA Opens 4-Stroke Lead while the South Africans are tied fourth

Buenos Aires, Argentina (20 October) – The USA forged a four-stroke lead over Argentina and France with a record-setting 8-under-par 136 in the first round of the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. The South African team are six strokes back and tied in fourth position on -2, with Kelli Shean carding 70 and Kim Williams an even par 72.

USA Curtis Cup teammates Jessica Korda, 17, and Cydney Clanton, 21, both shot 4-under-par 68 at the par-72 Olivos Golf Club to combine for a the lowest first-round in the history of the championship. The previous low first-round score was 137 by Canada in 2004 and Japan and Sweden in 2008.

Also playing at Olivos Golf Club, France was bolstered by the day’s low round, a 5-under-par 67 by Alexandra Bonetti and shared second-place with Argentina at 4-under-par 140.

The USA, which last won the competition for the Espirito Santo Trophy in 1998 in Chile, took advantage of optimum scoring conditions in the day’s first three starting times with Argentina and Portugal.

Argentina posted a pair of 2-under-par 70s from Manuela Carbajo Re and Victoria Tanco, who was named the American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year.

Chinese Taipei , Germany, South Africa and Spain tied for fourth place at 2-under-par 142. Mexico was eighth at 1-under-par 143, followed by Ireland, Canada, Israel, and the Philippines in ninth position at even-par 144. Defending champion Sweden was tied for 16th place at 146.

For the South Africans who all dropped a shot in the first three holes, Kelli Shean top scored on two under, dropping at 3, 5 and 10, but picked up shots at 6, 8 and 11 to be even par at that stage. She then birdied 16 and 18 to finish on -2.

Kim Williams dropped at 2, 5 and 11 but birdies at holes 4, 11 and 15 made her even par to add to Kelli’s -2.

Connie was lying -1 after the 13^th but a double drop at 14 set her back and despite picking up a shot at the 15^th, she dropped shots again at 16 and 17 to finish on +2.

The South Africans tee off at the Buenos Aires course today at 11h20, teamed with Scotland and Japan.