PORTIA AND FIONA BOTH IN TOP

TEN AT FRED MARX INVITATIONAL
IN MONROE, LOUISIANA

Two English players finished in the top 10 of the ULM Fred Marx Invitational women’s college tournament at Bayou Desiard Country Club, Monroe in Louisiana.
Portia Abbot from Wiltshire, a third-year student at Jacksonville State University, Alabama tied for sixth place on 228 with scores of 73, 77 and 78 over a par-72, 5,865yd course. In her first American college tournament of the season, a couple of weeks ago, Portia finished fifth.
Fiona Beattie, pictured right, from Axbridge, Somerset, a 22-year-old senior (fourth year) student at Arkansas State Universtity, tied for eighth place on 230 with scores of 76, 77 and 77. It was Fiona’s highest ever finish in an American college tournament.
Perhaps the fact that Arkansas State has a new women’s head golf coach, Chris Adams, had something to do with it.
Arkansas State, thanks to Fiona’s sterling effort, won the team event by five strokes from South Alabama University whose team included junior student Shirley Harvey from Belfast. Shirley had scores of 76, 80 and 79 for joint 29th place on 235.
Swedish student Elin Andersson (South Alabama) was the individual winner with 75, 74 and 72 for five-over-par 221 in awful conditions of wind and rain.