Ellie Givens leading GB&I player as Carlota

finishes second on US college debut

Ellie Givens (Denver University) from Darlington was the highest-placed British or Irish student in the recent Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge women's college tournament at Palos Verde Golf Club, California.
Ellie had scores of 75, 77 and 76 to fill joint ninth place on 15-over-par 228 over the par-71, 5912yd course.
Hannah Burke (Baylor) from Hertfordshire tied for 24th place on 234 with scores of 79, 80 and 75.
Ellie Givens' team-mate at Denver, Sarah Faller from Galway, scored 85, 79 and 78 for a share of 54th place on 242.
British women's open amateur stroke-play champion Roseanne Niven (California Berkeley) had a disappointing tournament, like most of the girls, her first of the second half of the 2008-2009 college season.
Crieff Golf Club member Roseanne scored 86, 82 and 82 for a total of 250 and a share of 73rd place in a field of 83.
Spanish ace Carlota Ciganda made her US college circuit debut for Arizona State but had to settle for second place on 222 with rounds of 76, 72 and 74.
Arizona State team-mate Juliana Murcia blew away the opposition with rounds of 70, 71 and 73 for a two-under total of 214 and victory by eight strokes from Ciganda.
Not surprisingly, Arizona State (898) won the team title by a big margin from Wake Forest (916), UCLA (17), Southern California (929) and Denver (929) in a field of 16 teams.