Manassero matches Florida heat with a

five-under-par 65 in Junior Orange Bowl

British amateur champion Matteo Manassero set a blistering pace of five-under-par 65 in the first round of the Junior Orange Bowl international boys' championship in temperatures in the high 70s at the Biltmore course, Coral Gables, Florida today.
Teenager Manassero, No 2 in the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings, birdied the last two holes - he had six birdies on the day - to finish the first round two shots clear of Italian compatriot Andrea Bolognesi (31-36), Curtis Thompson (Coral Springs, Florida) (32-35) and French amateur champion Romain Wattel (33-34) who recently beat Ross Kellett (Colville Park) in the final of the Argentina men's amateur international championship.
Manassero had halves of 33-32 against the par of 35-35 for the 6,699yd boys' course.
England's Jonathan Bell finished the first day in joint 18th place on one-over-par 71 with halves of 34-37.
In the girls' championship over a 6,061yd course, also par 70 (35-35), Denmark's Daisy Nielsen shared the first-round lead with Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn. Both players had halves of 36-33 to finish the day two shots clear of a group of players, including one of the favourites, Alexis Thompson.
Defending champion Victoria Tanco (Argentina) is joint 11th on the 73 mark.
BOYS' LEADERS
Par 70 (35-35). 6,699yd.
65 Matteo Manassero (Italy) 33-32.
67 Andrea Bolognesi (Italy) 31-36, Curtis Thompson (Florida) 32-35, Romain Wattel (France) 33-34.
68 Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), Daniel Zuluaga (Colombia).
69 Tom Lovelady (Alabama), Thomas Pieters (Belgium), Justin Thomas (Kent).
70 Victor Alarcon (Venezuela), Oskar Arvidsson (Sweden), Assaf Cohen (Israel), Martin Keskari (Germany), Brandon Ng (Canada, Patrick Rodgers (Indiana), Jose Pablo Rolz (Guatemala).
Selected score:
71 Jonathan Bell (England) 34-37.
GIRLS' LEADERS
Par 70 (35-35). 6,061yd.
69 Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand) 36-33, Daisy Nielsen (Denmark) 36-33.
71 Anna Arese (Spain), Alexis Thompson (Florida), Laetitia Beck (Israel), Cindy Feng (Florida), Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand), Kristine Odalyar (Florida), Alexis Thompson (Florida).
72 Kyle Roig (Puerto Rico).
73 Emilie Alonso (France), Laura Blanco (Colombia), Diana Fernandez (Paraguay) Monifa Sealy (Trinidad & Tobago), Victoria Tanco (Argentina).