Hannah only one over par

.. but she needs to improve

to make top 20 in Las

Vegas Showdown

England girl international and past Surrey champion Hannah Lovelock, now a student at Missouri University, needs a good final round to make the top 20 in the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown over 54 holes at Boulder Creek Golf Club, Boulder City in the state of Nevada.

Hannah, picture by courtesy of Leaderboard Photography, has had rounds of 73 and 72 for a 36-hole tally of 145, not bad scoring over a 6,236yd course with a par of 72.

But so high is the standard of scoring in most US women's college events - and this one is no exception - that one-over-par leaves her sharing 29th place in a field of 92!

Up front, Lisa McCloskey (Pepperdine) is setting a phenomenal pace at 12-under-par 132 with rounds of 67 and 65. She leads by two.

Quite a few of the Continental top-notchers are playing in this event, including Caroline Hedwall (Oklahoma State), the Swedish player who was beaten finalist in the British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick last June and then was the leading individual as Sweden won the women's world amateur team championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy at Adelaide, Australia recently.

LEADING 36-HOLE TOTALS

Par 144 (2 x 72) 6236yd

132 Lisa McCloskey (Pepperdine) 67 65.

European scores:

140 Caroline Hedwall (Oklahoma State & Sweden) 71 69 (jt 11th).

141 Pernilla Lindberg (Oklahoma State & Sweden) 67 74 (jt 14th).

143 Caroline Masson (Oklahoma State & Germany) 71 72 (jt 18th).

145 Valentine Derrey (Texas Christian & France) 73 72, Hannah Lovelock (Missouri & England)) 73 72 (jt 29th).

146 Karen Kinnerud (Oklahoma State & Sweden) 72 74 (jt 39th).

Field of 92 players.