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Sunday, December 17, 2006

CATHY GETS A BIRDIE BUT US
LEAD 11-5 WITH SINGLES TO
COME IN HANDA CUP
The United States team lead the World line-up 11-5 after the first day's play in the inaugural Handa Cup over the Slammer and Squire course at the World Golf Hall of Fame, St Augustine, Florida.
The match will conclude with 11 singles on Sunday, all over nine holes as have been all the earlier ties.
The Americans won the opening nine-hole foursomes by 3 1/2 to 1 1/2 which, under the scoring format of 2pt for a win and 1pt for a halved match, translated into a US 7, World 3 scoreline.
The foursomes were followed by three nine-hole "scramble" ties, which the United States won 2-1, or 4-2, all of which adds up to an 11-5 lead.
Scotland's Cathy Panton-Lewis, the only GB&I player in the match, lost her foursomes tie in partnership with Italy's Anne-Marie Palli. They went down by 2 and 1 - losing on the eighth green) to Amy Alcott and Rosie Jones.
Cathy and Anne-Marie three-putted their second hole and went two down at the next. The Scot later holed a 25ft birdie putt to cut the deficit to one but Amy Alcott set up a clinching birdie for the Americans with an approach to within 2ft of the flagstick at the eighth.
The Handa Cup is an official event of The Legends Tour, the LPGA's official tour for women professionals age 45 and higher.

Results:
DAY ONE - FOURSOMES
Matches over nine holes.
Patty Sheehan & Pat Bradley (US) bt Jan Stephenson (SAf) & Alicia Dibos) (Peru) 1 hole.
Martha Nause & Marylin Lovander (US) lost to Dawn Coe-Jones (Can) & Nayoko Yoshikawa (Jap) 2 holes.
Amy Alcott & Rosie Jones (US) bt Anne-Marie Palli (Ita) & Cathy Panton-Lewis (Sco) 2 and 1.
Joanne Carner & Christa Johnson (US) halved with Barb Scherback (Can) & Maria Gonzalez (Braz).
Jane Geddes & Sandra Haynie (US) bt Mieko Nomura (Jap) & Angie Tsai (Tai) 2 holes.
*2pt for win; 1pt for square match - United States lead World Team 7-3.

DAY ONE - SCRAMBLE
Matches over nine holes.
Nause & Lovander (US) bt Coe-Jones & Stephenson (World) 3 and 2.
Sheehan & Bradley (US) bt Dibos & Michiko Okada (World) 2 holes.
Cindy Rarick & Jones (US) lost to Nomura & Gonzalez (World) 1 hole.
United States won the session 4-2 to increase their overall lead to 11-5.

SUNDAY'S SINGLES LINE-UP
Matches over nine holes
M Nause v D Coe-Jones
J Geddes v A-M Palli
M Lovander v B Scherback.
C Rarick v M Okada.
P Sheehan v J Stephenson.
J Carner v A Dibos.
P Bradley v A Tsai.
C Johnson v M Gonzalez.
A Alcott v M Nomura.
R Jones v N Yoshikawa.
S Haynie v C Panton-Lewis.

For more information, visit www.thelegendstour.com and www.LPGA.com.