Teenage invasion continues at Ladies Masters
BY iseekgolf.com | ALPG Tour | 2005 ANZ Ladies Masters | Round Two | 25 Feb 2005
The teenage invasion continued during the early play of the second round at the $800,000 ANZ Ladies Masters at Royal Pines Resort as 18-year-old amateur Tiffany Joh from America equalled the course record of 63 thanks to an albatross two at the par five ninth hole, her final hole of the day.
Joh, a High School student at Rancho Bernardo in San Diego reached eight under par for 36 holes and trails by a shot from over night leader 19-year-old Ai Miyazato from Japan, who equalled Karrie Webb’s course record in the first round. Also on nine under is Nikki Campbell from Australia who completed a second round 68 to tack on to her opening 67.
Miyazato tees off at 1230pm (GMT 10).
Tied for fourth place after completing two rounds are Swedes Linda Wessberg and Cecilia Ekelundh, Rachel Hetherington from Australia, Elisabeth Esterl from Germany and Veronica Zorzi from Italy who carded an eight under par 64 to jump right into contention for her maiden victory.
“I started OK through the front nine and on the back nine, I made a couple of fifteen or twenty footers to get going but I still didn’t have a 63 on my mind. I holed a bunker shot at the 16th and I never thought anything would top that. But then I holed on 18,” said Joh, who plays her amateur golf in the American Junior Golf Association events.
“I’ve never had an albatross before. I actually thought it went into the bunker at the back of the green but people were clapping, so maybe it didn’t go into the bunker. I guess it turned out OK. I had 213-yards to the pin and I hit a five wood – it was downwind.
“The green was elevated and the pin was back left, so I couldn’t see it land at all. I had no idea until I went up and checked it and then I was in shock, so I just picked up and walked around the green like a zombie!”
Campbell, who plays most of her professional golf in Japan, had to card her score the hard way, but made it easy with a bout of good putting on the greens. Out in 33 thanks to a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth hole, Campbell came home in level par as the wind picked up.
“I’ve started to putt well on the Queensland greens,” said Campbell, who finished 32nd on the order of merit in Japan last season.
“I used to feel a bit daunted playing golf with some of the bigger names in women’s golf, but I’m beginning to feel a bit more comfortable with it now. Anytime my name is on the leaderboard, it gives me confidence and I’m going to go out over the weekend and try and feel comfortable.”
Source – LET
