Three Californians in a 3-way Tie for the 45th Annual Joanne Winter Silver Belle Championship
Tempe, Ariz. – 2014 runner-up Haley Moore of Escondido, Calif. and fellow Californians Crystal Wang of Diamond Bar, and Jiyoon Jang of Rancho Mirage are in a 3-way tie shooting 4-under-par 68 at the 45th annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship presented by the AB Farrington Foundations at ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.Moore, 17, who played in the 2015 ANA Inspiration and AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship, felt she was striking the ball extremely well.
"I was putting really well and didn't have a single bogey all day," Moore said. "Tomorrow I will play like today and I know the birdies will come."
Moore graduated from San Pasqual High School in December and will be attending University of Arizona in January. Her dream is to win a NCAA title and feels that playing at U of A will help keep her in contention to achieve that dream. Sharing the lead is Crystal Wang, 15, who said the strongest part of her game was her putting. Wang had an eagle on the 14th hole and 5 birdies for the round.
"My putting was very good today the other parts of my game were okay. Tomorrow I will try to stay away from the water and the bunkers," quipped Wang who has been playing golf since she was 8 years old. Completing the 3-way tie is Jiyoon Jang, 17, who had a total of 5 birdies for the day. Jang's putting and short game helped put her in the lead.
"The best part of my game was my putting and I didn't miss too many greens. I made some really long putts I didn't expect to make and a couple short putts because I really stuck my approach shots," said Jang who has committed to University of California Berkeley for 2016.
All the players are enjoying the tournament and the chance to see old friends and meet new players. They also see it as a great way to size up their competition.
"I really enjoying playing in the Silver Belle because of how competitive it is and because the field is so big. I like seeing all the girls here because I have been playing with them since I was little," Jang commented.
There are 4 players tied for fourth place with a 3-under-par 69; Lisbeth Brooks, 22, of Waunakee, Wis.; Jennifer Chang, 16, of Cary, North Carolina; Nastasia Kossacky, 17, of San Diego, Calif.; and Brianna Navarrosa, 13, of San Diego, Calif.
Megan Knadler, 19, of Phoenix got a hole-in-one on the 16th hole finishing the day with an 8-over-par 80. This is the 4th hole-in-one for the University of Wyoming freshman.
Play for the three-day, 54-hole tournament continues tomorrow and will conclude on Wednesday at the 6102 yard ASU Karsten Golf Course.
More than 25 college golf coaches from around the country were on hand for the first day of play to observe their players and to scout the field for potential players. Coaches came from as far as Hawaii and Michigan.
Many past participants and champions continue their golf careers playing on the LPGA or the Legends Tour. These players include: Paula Creamer; Pat Hurst, Cheyenne Woods; Mary Bea Porter-King (1973 Champion); Jenny Lidback (1981 Champion); Danielle Ammaccapane (1984 Champion); and Yani Tseng (2005).
Joanne Winter founded the Silver Belle in 1971 to create an opportunity for young female golfers to experience the excitement of participating in a tournament. This year's field of 92 is a considerable increase from the inaugural field of only 23 players. Today the Joanne Winter Silver Belle Championship is a nationally and internationally recognized amateur event.
