KRYSTLE TEES OFF WITH A 76 IN
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

Krystle Caithness began her last tournament - the NCAA Division 1 women's championship - before next week's Curtis Cup match at St Andrews with a four-over-par round of 76 over the University of New Mexico golf course at Albuquerque.
Starting at the 10th tee, the 19-year-old from Cellardyke, Fife and a student at the University of Georgia, bogeyed the 11th, 13th, third and fourth before she got her first and only birdie, at the sixth. She had one more bogey, at the eighth on a testing course of 6,424yd with a par of 72.
That put her in a tie for 68th place in a field of 126 of the very best female college golfers in America.
Last year's English girls champion, Ellie Givens (Denver University) had a 77 and is sharing 85th place.
Ellie, starting at the 10th, bogeyed the 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, second and fifth before finishing with a birdie 4 at the long ninth.
Ireland's Danielle McVeigh (Texas A&M) had 17 pars and a bogey at the 17th for a 73 and a share of 23rd place.
Nannette Hill (Wake Forest) was the surprise first-round leader with a five-under 67 which equalled the course record on a relatively calm day. High winds are forecast for the remainder of the 72-hole tournament.
Five members of the US Curtis Cup team for the Old Course contest against GB&I were in action and they did not set the heather on fire. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas) was the best of the bunch with a 73, one better than team-mates Jennie Lee (Duke University) and Tiffany Joh (UCLA).
Amanda Blumenherst (Duke University), the top-ranked US college player, could manage only a 75 while Irish-born Alison Walshe (Arizona University), from Galway, the last of the five US Curtis Cup players, was on the76 mark alongside Krystle Caithness.
Duke University, bidding to win the team title for the fourth year in a row, have the proverbial mountain to climb from a current position of 18th in a field of 24 teams. On 299, Duke are 15 shots behind leaders Southern California.
LEADERBOARD
Par 72, 6424yd
67 Nannette Hill (Wake Forest).
69 Sydnee Michaels (UCLA), Belen Mozo (Southern California), Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), Alexandra Phelps (New Mexico),Candace Schepperle (Auburn).
70 Lene Krog (Virginia), Paola Moreno (Southern California).
Other scores:
73 Stacy Lewis (Arkansas).
74 Jennie Lee (Duke), Tiffany Joh (UCLA).
75 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke), Anna Nordqvist (Arizona State).]
76 Krystle Caithness (Georgia), Alison Walshe (Arizona) (jt 68th).
77 Ellie Givens (Denver) (jt 85th).
LEADING TEAMS
284 Southern California.
289 UCLA, Auburn.
290 Arizona State.
293 Denver, Wake Forest.
294 Oklahoma State.
295 Texas A&M.
Also:
297 Georgia (jt 11th).
299 Duke (18th of 24 teams).

REPORT FROM THE GOLF WORLD WEBSITE

Round 1 at the NCAA Women's Champinoship wasn't very auspicious for either Arkansas' Stacy Lewis or Duke's Amanda Blumenherst, as the two play this week to decide, among other things, who will win national player of the year.
Lewis' one-over 73 at the University of New Mexico Championship Course left her in a tie for 23rd place, six behind leader Nannette Hill of Wake Forest, and was two shots better than Blumenherst's 75 (T-53).
"I'm kind of frustrated on how I played today," Lewis said. "I need to figure out the elevation changes because I'm hitting the ball way too far."
When asked about trying to become the first player to defend her NCAA title, Lewis hold back her thoughts on the goal.
"I don't think there is any added pressure on defending," Lewis said. "I'm here to repeat and I'm here to win. Last year was last year, and it's a whole new year."
Blumenherst hit 15 greens and 10 fairways but needed 36 putts en route to her three over round. Most costly was a double bogey on the 15th hole where she slipped while hitting her drive, the ball coming to rest next to a tree.