Sian Evans, Lauren Smith now team-mates

at East Tennessee State University

There are now two English students on the East Tennessee State University women's golf roster - Sian Evans, the Kent women's county champion from Gillingham, and Lauren Smith from Cramlington near Newcastle.

Sian, pictured top right, is in her freshman year, Lauren, pictured lower right,  has transferred from Western Texas University where she missed her sophomore year as a golfer due to injury.

Sian finished joint ninth in her second outing on the US women's college golf circuit, the Mercedez-Benz Ladies Championship, in which she had rounds of 71, 73 and 72,  and joint 20th on her debut in the UNCG Starmount Fall Classic.

In her most recent tournament, the Palmetto Intercollegiate at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, at the weekend, San had scores of 75, 74 and 78 for an ll-over-par total of 227 which earned her a share of 28th place in a field of 92 players.

Baden-Baden born German international Leigh Whittaker (Charleston), with rounds of 67, 67 and 71 for nine-under-par 205, spreadeagled the field to win by nine shots over the par-72, 5912yd course at the former Ryder Cup venue.