ABERDEENSHIRE GIRL IN STATES

MICHELE STARTS COLLEGE GOLF
CAREER IN SOUTH CAROLIN A

Aberdeenshire teenager Michele Thomson’s American college golf career is off and running.
The Ellon girl was lying joint 24th on five-over-par 151 after rounds of 76 and 75 in the Unlimited Potental Classic women’s college 54-hole tournament over the par-73, 6,149yd Shaftesbury Glen course at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Michele, who has just started a four-year golf scholarship at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, was joint best in a field of more than 80 students at the par-3s over the first 36 holes. She was two-under-par. She was also joint second best for scoring par figures – 29 out of 36.
These statistics mean that the North of Scotland women’s champion for the past two years must have dropped seven shots to par over five holes.
“I think she must have been in among the crocodiles a couple of times,” said her dad Graham, who has been following his daughter’s progress through the Internet in Abu Dhabi where he is currently living and working in the oil industry.
“Michele has settled in well at Jacksonville State University and loves the weather. She has begun to get use to the gym sessions at 6am twice a week,” said Graham.
“The golf was tough for her at first because of the heat in Alabama – four bottles during warm-up, but she was pleased to make it into the JSU team for the first tournament, even though they had to make an eight-hour trip from Alabama to South Carolina in a mini-bus.”
Louise Fleming from Kelso, the other Scot on the Jacksonville State University women’s squad, missed the current tournament because of a back injury.
Michele, pictured above right, starts the final round later today (USA time) 10 shots behind leader Araceli Felgueroso (Coastal Carolina) who shot 71 and 70 for 141 and a one-stroke lead from Kelly Gerlach (Southern Illinois).
Jacksonville State are lying fifth on 601, eight shots behind joint leaders Charleston and Middle Tennessee in the team event which is being contested by 16 colleges.