Daily Telegraph Junior Championship Finals

Carly Booth (70), Tommy Fleetwood (67)

set pace in Abu Dhabi

Defending champion Carly Booth from Comrie has made a good start in the Daily Telegraph Junior Championship Finals at Abu Dhabi.
The 16-year-old Curtis Cup player, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, lived up to her promise to push her game to the limit by returning a two-under-par 70 to lead by one shot from Katherine O'Connor (Tadmarton Heath).
"Obviously you want to win every tournament you enter. I know you can't win everything but I think I have a very good chance and I am very positive about being her in Abu Dhabi," said Carly who is now a pupil at Glenalmond, a top of the range boarding school near Perth.
Carly had five birdies in all, three of them in the space of four holes - the 10th, 11th and 13th.

Alex Peters, one of two 14-year-olds in the field, is lying third in the girls event with a creditable par-matching round of 72.

Nikki Dunn from Harrogate had a 75, finishing with a blister on her right hand. She was also bitten a few times by flies.

Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies), like all the other players, struggled to come to terms with the grain of the putting surfaces. Rachael had an other problem in the heat. She had to carry her own clubs for a hole while a replacement was found for her young caddie who became exhausted in the oppressive sunshine.
Eighteen-year-old Katherine O'Connor's brother Steven is lying ninth in the boys' championship behind wild card sponsors' selection Tommy Fleetwood from Formby Hall..
The 17 year old England boys captain shot a brilliant opening round of five-under-par 67 to lead by two shots from the defending champion, 18-year-old Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale), winner of The Duke of York Young Champions' title at Dundonald Links a month or so ago.
Fleetwood had six birdies and reached the turn in four under par.

Hodgson, who also won the Carris Trophy in a stellar 2008 season, chipped in for a birdie at the 17th.

Sixteen-year-old Sam Benton is playing third in the boys' race with a one-under-par 71.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
DAILY TELEGRAPH JUNIOR FINALS

Abu Dhabi Golf Club
Girls (Par 72)

70 C Booth (Comrie).

71 K O'Connor (Tadmarton Heath).

72 A Peters (Notts Ladies).

73 H Baek (Felixstowe Ferry), H Barwood (Knowle).

75 N Dunn (Harrogate), K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).

76 G Brown (Mere).

83 R McQueen (Troon).

BOYS (Par 72)
67 T Fleetwood (Formby Hall).

69 S Hodgson (Sunningdale).

71 S Benton (South Staffs).

72 R Bardsley (Moor Hall).

73 S Jones (Canons Brook).

75 M Saunders (Dartford).

76 B Hannah (Workington).

77 M Geddes (Prenton), T Boys (Royal Liverpool), S O'Connor (Tadmarton Heath).

78 O Huish (North Berwick).

81 D Hind (Mickleover).