Jodi Ewart in action on the US women's college circuit.

Jodi Ewart's good start to Mountain West

Conference championship defence

Curtis Cup selection Jodi Ewart, a sophomore student at New Mexico University, has made a good start to her defence of the Mountain West Women's Conference championship over her home college course (par 73, 6167yd) at Albuquerque.

Jodi, winner of the English women's amateur stroke-play championship at Silloth last summer, shook off a bogey 6 at her first hole to return a one-under-par 72 and take a one-stroke lead from Therese Koelbaek (UNLV) into the second round.

On a cold and windy day, 20-year-old Jodi, a Catterick Golf Club member from Middleham, Yorkshire, must have felt at home with the conditions. She birdied the short seventh and the long ninth to be out in 36.

After the turn, she bogeyed the par-4 13th but finished on a high with a birdie 4 at the long 18th.

New Mexico University have jumped into a nine-stroke lead from Brigham Young in the team event.

LEADING INDIVIDUAL SCORES

Par 73

72 Jodi Ewart (New Mexico).

73 Therese Koelbaek (UNLV).

74 Britney Choy (New Mexico), Natalia Jimenez (Brigham Young), Jonelie Martinez (Wyoming).

LEADING TEAM SCORES

298 New Mexico.

307 Brigham Young.

308 UNLV.

Seven teams are taking part