16-year-old, Yealimi Noh, Shoots 65 to Lead the Field at the 47th Annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle ChampionshipScottsdale, Ariz. –Yealimi Noh of Concord, Calif shot a 7-under-par Thursday for the lead at the first round of the 47th annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship presented by the AB Farrington Foundation at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. The tournament continues Friday and Saturday. All players are playing 6,163 yards, par 72. Noh, 16, who won the AJGA Girls Championship in Greenville, South Carolina in September, made an eagle on the 5th hole and had a total of five birdies for the round. This is Noh's second year playing in the Silver Belle. Elizabeth Wang, 17, of San Marino, Calif, is close behind shooting a 6-under-par 66 with 3 birdies on each of the front and back nine of Talking Stick's Piipaash course. Wang has played in four previous Silver Belle Championships winning her age brackets in last year's tournament. Sophie Linder, of Carthage, Tenn., who at 13 is this year's youngest player, came in at 1-under-par for the first round of the tournament. Victoria Gailey, 17, of Tigard, Ore., and Alexandra White, 23, of Lompoc, Calif., are tied for third at 3-under-par. White is a senior at BYU where she is joined by her sister Maddie, 18, on the school's team. Gailey has committed to play at the University of Nevada, Reno next year. This year's field is comprised of 24 players who are ranked in the top 100 of the Junior Golf Scoreboard Ranking. Established in 1971 by founder Joanne Winter, the Silver Belle was created at a time when there were few opportunities for young women players to compete in tournaments. Joanne’s vision was to give girls the chance to experience the thrill and excitement of participating in a tournament. In the inaugural year, there were only 23 players. The tournament has grown from a local tournament to one of the premier internationally recognized amateur events. The results from the championship will earn the players points toward their World Amateur Golf Ranking. Many past participants and champions have continued their golf careers by playing on the LPGA or the Legends Tour. These players include: Paula Creamer, Pat Hurst, Cheyenne Woods, Cathy Gaughan Mant (1971 Champion), Mary Bea Porter-King (1973 Champion), Jenny Lidback (1981 Champion), Danielle Ammaccapane (1984 Champion), Emilee Klein (1991 champion), Yani Tseng (2005 Champion) and Angel Yin (2011 Champion). For more information and results during the tournament, visit www.azsilverbelle.com and follow instructions to our Tournament Portal. |