Hannah Burke finishes jt

6th in Baylor Invitational

Hannah Burke (Baylor University, Texas) faded from joint third to a final position of joint sixth in a field of 84 for the Baylor Spring Invitational women's college tournament at Twin Rivers Golf Club, Waco in Texas.

Hannah, pictured, followed an opening 77 with a one-over-par 73 which suggested she was coming into form at just the right time to win her home university's golf tournament.

But it was not to be. The Hertfordshire player who is in the Ladies Golf Union preliminary selection squad for this summer's Vagliano Trophy match between GB&I and the holders, the Continent of Europe, in Hamburg, finished with a round of 79 for a total of 13-over--par 229.

She had a dismal outward half of 41 with bogeys at the first, third, fifth, sixth and ninth. Things got worse at the 11th where she had a double bogey 6. A birdie at the 13th was only a brief glimmer in the gloom as she had another bogey at the 14th before finished with her best run of consecutive pars (4) for 38 home.

Stacey Rodger, from Mile Oak, Sussex and a freshman student at Missouri State University, improved from joint 32nd to a final position of joint 2oth with a round of 76 for 234. Earlier she had scored 78 and 80.

Stacey had birdies at the second, 12th, 15th and 17th in her final round but also had bogeys at the fourth, fifth, seventh, ninth (out in 39), 13th, 14th, 17th and 18th. In fact, she had only six pars in her final 18 holes.

But she avoided the disasters of the first round (a quadruple bogey 8) and the second round (a double bogey 6).

Katie Ackerson (Southern Methodist) was the individual winner with scores of 74, 74 and 75 for 223 over a par-72 course of 6,349yd.

Suteera Chanachai (New Mexico State) was runner-up on 225 with scores of 76, 74 and 75.

Pennapa Pulsawath (Iowa State) came third on 227 with rounds of 76, 74 and 77.

Illinois State (927) won the team title ahead of New Mexico State (931) with Baylor and Missouri State tieing for third place on 933 in a field of 14 teams.