Emily Mahar Scores 63 to Move Within Two Shots of Day 1 Leader, Yealimi Noh in the Second Round of the Silver Belle ChampionshipScottsdale, Ariz. –Yesterday’s leader Yealimi Noh, 16, of Concord, Calif., remains in the lead after two days, shooting 70 for a two-day total of 135 (9-under-par) at the 47th annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship presented by the AB Farrington Foundation. The tournament will conclude on Saturday with the leaders teeing off at 11:15 a.m. All players continue to play 6,163 yards, par 72 at Talking Stick Golf Club – Piipaash Course, in Scottsdale, Ariz. To help Noh lead the 96 player field the last two days, she has made an eagle each day (hole 5 and hole 14) after hitting her second shot from over 200 yards next to the hole. Over the 36 holes, she has had 2 eagles, 7 birdies and 2 bogies. "I got on the greens a lot today with short irons. I'm from Northern California and I think the air is different here and I am hitting the ball longer. I made a lot of putts today too," said Noh. In a two-way tie for second are Emily Mahar, 18, of Phoenix, Ariz., and Elizabeth Wang, 17, of San Marino, Calif with a two-day total of 137 (7-under-par). Mahar, a Freshman at Virginia Tech and graduate of Xavier Prep in Phoenix, came close to matching the course record shooting 63 (9-under-par) in today's round with 10 birdies and 1 bogie. She started the day tied for 29th and moved 27 places up the leaderboard. "My approach shots were really good today. I have been working hard on my irons and everything else was working well today too. I was sticking it really close to the flag" said Mahar. "I have always liked playing this course because if you are playing well it sets you up to shoot a low score," added Mahar. Playing in the Silver Belle for the second year, Mahar enjoys playing in this tournament because she can play with her junior golf friends but also with a host of collegiate players in the field. Wang’s 71 in today's round, after her 6-under-par from the first round, keeps her in close contention with Noh and Mahar. "I have been working on my driver and now I am seeing some progress. I saw some improvement with my irons and putting as well," said Wang. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Wang recently committed to Harvard University. She contacted the school herself when she was 7-years-old to find out what she had to do to get into the school. Ty Akabane, 17, of Danville, Calif., had the second-best round of the day (behind Mahar) by scoring 67 (5-under-par) with 4 birdies and an eagle to move her up to a tie for 7th after starting the day tied for 33rd. Lauren Gomez, 14, of San Diego, Calif., is tied for 5th place at 3-under-par (141) for the 2-day-total. 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. |