Ellie Givens joint 12th in California

Ellie Givens, the 2007 English girls champion from Darlington, finished a creditable joint 12th in a quality field of 80 players for the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge women's college tournament at Palos Verdes Golf Club, California yesterday.

Ellie, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, a junior (third year) student at Denver University, had rounds of 72, 74 and 77 for a total of 223 over the par-71 course of 5,912yd.

Team-mate Sarah Faller, a sophomore student from Galway, finished tied 28th with no less a player than Spanish ace Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State) on the 228 mark. Sarah scored 74, 78 and 76, Carloa 78, 78 and 72.

Lisa McCloskey (Pepperdine) won by three shots with a two-under-par total of 211, made up of scores of 71, 67 and 73.

Pepperdine, who had another student, Taylore Karle, in joint second place with Jennifer Song (Southern California) on 214, finished second, beaten by three strokes, to Southern California in the team event.

Givens and Faller's efforts enabled Denver to finish joint sixth in a field of 15 teams.

LEADING INDIVIDUAL TOTALS

Par 213 (3x71) 5,912yd

211 Lisa McCloskey (Pepperdine) 71 67 73.

214 Taylore Karle (Pepperdine) 69 72 73, Jennifer Song (Southern California) 67 75 72.

Selected scores:

223 Ellie Givens (Denver) 72 74 77 (jt 12th).

227 Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State) 78 78 72, Sarah Faller (Denver) 74 78 76.

LEADING TEAM TOTALS

876 Southern California.

879 Pepperdine.

897 Ohio State.

Selected score:

900 Denver (jt sixth of 15).

Alex Hogben makes top 10 in Utah

Alex Hogben from Manchester, a student at the University of Missouri Kansas City, tied for eighth place in a field of 70 players at the Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invite college tournament at Sunbrook Golf Club, St George in Utah.

Alex scored 76 and 70 for a total of 146 over the par-72, 6,781yd course.

Harrison Moore (College of Charleston) was the individual winner by three strokes with scores of 70 and 68 for six-under 138.

College of Charleston (576) won the team title ahead of UMKC (585) and Western Illinois (587) in a field of 11 teams.