FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
Only four entrants broke par in the first round of the England Girls Championship at Malton and Norton today with the North Yorkshire course proving a tough ask in extreme heat.
Worcestershire’s Olivia Williams (Churchill and Blakedown) and Scottish 14-year-old Grace Crawford (North Berwick) lead the way on two under (70) with Lincolnshire’s Tilly Garfoot (Woodhall Spa) and Northumberland star Maggie Whitehead (Close House) a shot further back.
Grace, who arrived in Yorkshire on the back of reaching the knockout stages of the Scottish Girls Championship, put her strong start down to some accurate driving.
“I think I missed one fairway and that definitely helps by putting you in position for the second shots,” she told England Golf.
“I’ll just take it day-by-day and shot-by-shot. This is a nice confidence boost and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
For Olivia a bogey at the first proved no barrier to success. Birdies at the second, fifth and 11th left her heading the 136-girl field.
England Girls squad member Maggie once again showed her remarkable consistency in elite-level events. The recently-turned 15-year-old, who reached the last 16 of the British Amateur and was fourth at last month’s England U-18s Championship, is once again in contention thanks to a two-under-par back nine which got her into the red numbers.
Alongside her on one under par is the Lincolnshire Junior girls captain Tilly, who got to four under par after 11 holes but a double bogey at the 12th brought her back towards the pack and she bogeyed 14 and 16 before hitting back with a birdie at the last.
After tomorrow’s second round the leading 40 competitors and ties will carry on into the second half of the event.