US COLLEGE NEWS

Sally Watson jt 49th on debut for Stanford

- but she was only two over par!

Curtis Cup Scot Sally Watson did OK on her competitive debut for California's Stanford University in the Mason Rudolph women's collegiate championship.

It was just that 48 players in the field of 90 did better!

The scoring was amazingly low over the par-72, 6271 course at the Vanderbilt Legends Club, Tennessee.

Sally, 18, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had rounds of 74 and 72 and was only two over par with a total of 146. Starting at the 10th in her second round, she birdied the 10th, 12th, 13th and fifth. She had bogeys at the 17th, fourth and sixth.

The tournament should have been over three rounds but the scheduled second 18 holes were washed out by very bad weather.

Normally, a two-over-par total in a 36-hole event on the US women's college circuit would gain a player somewhere in the top 20. But Sally finished joint 49th!

The tone for the low scoring was set by Southern California's Jennifer Song who returned a pair of 66s for a 12-under-par tally of 132. Unbelievable!

She won by three shots from the three who tied for second place - home course player Marina Alex (Vanderbilt) with 68 and 67, Cydney Clanton (Auburn) (67-68) and Sydness Michaels (UCLA) (70-65).

Even Spanish ace Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State), beaten at Harlech in the final of this summer's British women's open amateur championship (by compatriot Azahara Munoz, now a professional), a title Carlota won in 2007 but did not defend in 2008, could finish no higher than joint 40th with a total of one-over-par 145 (71-74).

Southern California (560) won the team title by two shots from UCLA with Auburn (563) third and Arizona State (565) fourth. Stanford (580) came 13th of 17.