Double ace marks start of  England                                       U16 girls' championship Ace play marked the start of the English U16 girls’ open championship when two players had holes in one – on the same hole at The Nottinghamshire. Norfolk’s Amelia Williamson (image © Leaderboard Photography) and Staffordshire’s Georgia Ann Pritchard both aced the 149-yard sixth hole on the Signature course. It helped Williamson (Royal Cromer) to a four-under par score of 68 and a two shot lead after the first round of the championship. The 16-year-old England girl international from Royal Cromer used a seven-iron for her shot and said: “I hit a good shot but it was a shock when it rolled up to the hole and dropped in – and mum went mad!” From there she moved steadily ahead with four more birdies and two bogeys, including one on the 17th which inspired a last hole birdie.“I was annoyed about that bogey so I was determined on the 18th. I hit my chip to 1ft and thought ‘thank you!’” Two players share second place on two-under par 70: fellow girl international Lily May Humphreys (Channels) who won the English U14 title last year, and Hertfordshire’s Hannah Screen (Berkhamsted). Pritchard, pictured left, (Beau Desert) matched the hole in one on the sixth on her way to a first round score of 80. Yesterday she tied second in the final of the Abraham Trophy competition for England’s most improved girl golfers, in terms of handicap reduction. She was one of three players who shared the runners-up spot with net scores of three-under 69. Meanwhile, there’s a two-way tie at the top in the English girls’ open amateur championship on The Nottinghamshire’s Championship course. Suffolk’s Alice Barlow (Newton Green) and Scotland’s Alison Muirhead both scored two-under par 71 in the opening round of the U18 event. Barlow had three birdies in her round and didn’t drop a shot until her solitary bogey on 17. Muirhead was six-under after 11 holes, helped by an eagle two on the sixth, before dropping four shots on the way in. One shot back is Northumberland’s Niamh Lendrum (Parklands) who finished with three consecutive birdies, and England girl international Bel Wardle of Prestbury in Cheshire, who started with three birdies in a row. After tomorrow’s second round both fields will be cut. In the under 18s, the top 40 players and ties go forward to play the final 36 holes on Thursday. In the under 16s, the leading 36 players and ties will qualify for the final 36 holes. Click here for scores and more information  Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf