English U16/14 Girls – Day Two: Burgess and Kim lead the charge for glory
Gemma Burgess and Rosie Bee Kim lead the way going into what promises to be a dramatic final day at the English Girls’ Under 14 and 16 Open Championship.
First round leader Burgess (main image) held onto her advantage in the under 16 section by carding a one under par round of 72 at Morecambe Golf Club for a halfway total of six under par
The North Hants golfer holds a slender one-shot lead over England girls’ squad member Maggie Whitehead who followed an opening round of 70 with a 71.
The under 16 grouping will conclude today with a further 36 holes of stroke play around the Lancashire venue.
In the under 14 section, Kim’s level par round of 73 combined with a first round effort of 75 was enough to give her a three-shot cushion over Woburn’s Roisin Scanlon who heads the chasing pack going into Thursday’s third and final round.
Burgess’ round included six birdies and just two bogeys. However, a triply bogey seven at the 8th hole undid a lot of her good work.
There was still a positive tone to her voice after the round. She said: “I got a good start and was three under and had a triple – but I did have some good putting.
“When I needed to hole them I did, which was good.”
On a day of blustery showers, it was tough for the girls to get into a rhythm and for many this is their first experience of a 72-hole tournament.
Burgess goes into unknown territory tomorrow but with the confidence booster of two good rounds behind her.
She added: “The rain wasn’t too bad – only the first few holes. The wind was difficult especially on the par fives, but I managed alright.
“It’s my first time ever doing it (72-hole event) so I have a lot of confidence for tomorrow.
“I’ll aim for more steady golf and see what happens. Hopefully I can put two good scores in.”
The more experienced Whitehead remains a potent threat to Burgess after a round which included an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys.
For Kim (pictured above) , finishing her second round with two birdies helped repair any damage caused earlier in the day.
“I’m very pleased,” she confirmed.
“Things started a little dodgy, but I managed to have two birdies on the last two holes so that made it up a bit.
“My scores give me some confidence but nothing’s set in stone and I’ll take it hole by hole and see where it goes.”
Photography credit: Leaderboard