KRYSTLE LYING JT FOURTH

IN BUILD-UP TO

CURTIS CUP

Curtis Cup team selection Krystle Caithness is ticking over nicely in the build-up to the match against the United States over the Old Course, St Andrews at the end of the month.
But GB&I team-mate Jodi Ewart, also at college in the States, is not doing so well in the NCAA Division 1 women’s East Regional championship over the University of Georgia golf course at Athens, Georgia.
Krystle, 19. from Cellardyke, Fife, picture left by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), a student at the University of Georgia, is lying joint fourth after rounds of 70 and 73 for 143, five shots behind the leader from Belgium, Benedicte Toumpsin (South Carolina University).
American Curtis Cup ace Amanda Blumenherst (Duke University) is sharing second place on 141.
Krystle started her second round at the 10th, which she bogeyed before parring the next eight holes. Then came another setback – a double bogey 6 at the first but she picked up the tempo again with birdies at the second and fourth, dropped a shot at the sixth and then birdieing the long seventh to cover her second nine (holes 1 to 9) in 35.
The Scot has had seven birdies over the first 36 holes of the championship, over her home university course, which augurs well for the Curtis Cup encounter over what is her home course in St Andrews.
Anna Scott (Georgia State University) from Consett, Co Durham improved from joint 31st to join 18th in a field of 108 with a repeat 75 which could have been so much better. The 6ft 1in English girl, starting at the 10th, had a double bogey 7 at the long 11th and then finished off her round with a double bogey 6 at the ninth. In between she birdied the long 13th and 15th.
Jodi Ewart (New Mexico University) from Middleham, Yorkshire, is sharing 40th place after a 77 for 153. It was the second round in a row in which she did not have a single birdie. So far she has played 36 holes with nine single bogeys but not a double bogey.
Olivia Jordan-Higgins (Charleston Southern University) from the Channel Islands plummeted from a share of 31st place to joint 61st with an 81 for 156. She too had no birdies on Day 2, running up a triple bogey 7 at the ninth and a double bogey 7 at the 12th.
Claire Starkey (Georgia State) from Skipton, Yorkshire had a 77 for 160 and a share of 83rd place. She kept the damaging double bogeys off her card but had only one birdie, at the 13th.
Portia Abbot (Jacksonville State University) from Wiltshire had no birdies and no double bogeys in scoring an 80 for 162. She is tied for 92nd place.
Rebecca Watson (Tennessee University) from Edinburgh, whose younger sister Sally will be playing in the Curtis Cup, is back in a share of 95th place after improving by seven shots to a 78 for 163. She had no double bogeys in her second round and birdied the eighth and 13th.
Laura Cutler (Jacksonville State University) from England had a 79 for 165 and 101st place. Although she birdied the eighth, 15th and long 18th, Laura had double bogeys at two short holes, the third and 16th, and also the par-4 first.
HOW THEY STAND
Individuals
SECOND ROUND
Par 144 (2 x 72) 6335yd
138 Benedicte Toumpsin (South Carolina) 68 70.
141 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) 68 73, Sara-Maude Juneau (Louisville) 67 74.
143 Krystle Caithness (Georgia) 70 73, Carmen Perez (UNC Wilmington) 71 72.
Other scores:
150 Anna Scott (Georgia State) 75 75 (jt 18th).
153 Jodi Ewart (New Mexico) 76 77 (jt 40th).
156 Olivia Jordan-Higgins (Charleston Southern) 75 81 (jt 61st).
160 Claire Starkey (Georgia State) 83 77 (jt 83rd) 83 77.
162 Portia Abbot (Jacksonville State) 82 80 (jt 92nd).
163 Rebecca Watson (Tennessee) 85 78 (jt 95th).
165 Laura Cutler (Jacksonville State) 86 79 (101st)
Teams
(leading eight to advance to NCAA championship)
585 Florida. 588 Duke. 594 South Carolina. 598 Auburn. 599 Georgia, Furman. 603 Wake Forest. 605 New Mexico (21 teams competing).