REBECCA WATSON BEST OF BRITISH

(and Irish) IN FIRST ROUND OF

LAS VEGAS COLLEGIATE

Rebecca Watson from South Queensferry, 18-year-old sister of Junior Solheim Cup player Sally, was the leading British & Irish player at the end of the first round of the three-day Las Vegas Collegiate tournament over a par-72, 6,050yd Angel Park Mountain course in Nevada today.
Rebecca, pictured right, a freshman student at Tennessee University, had a birdie at the short fourth and was still one under par with two holes to play before she ran up a double bogey 7 at the long 17th to finish with a creditable one-over-par 73.

That gave her joint 19th position in a good-class field of 96 players with 36 holes to go.
Irish international Tara Delaney (Kent State) and compatriot Danielle McVeigh (Texas A&M) both had 74s to be joint 27th. Tara bogeyed the sixth and seventh but birdied the ninth, 11th and 16th before, like Rebecca, she came a cropper at the long 17th which cost her a triple bogey 8.
Danielle started at the 19th and was five over par for her first nine holes, including a double bogey 5 at the short 11th but she was a different player on her second half, birdieing the first, second and third and then parring her way to a three-under 33 for holes one to nine.
Jodi Ewart from Yorkshire, a second-year student at New Mexico University, will start the second round in joint 41st place in a good field of 96 players. Jodi had a 75 with no birdies and bogeys at the sixth, 15th and 17th.
Leading the field are Katie Templer (Denver) and Marci Turner (Tennessee) on five-under-par
Tennessee (282) lead the team event from Denver (285) and Arizona (286). Kent State (291) are lying fourth of the 18 teams. Texas A&M (296) at joint seventh and New Mexico (298) ninth.