Emilia Migliaccio is seven up with one round to go
(Wake Forest photo)

Miggliaccio, a freshman at Wake Forest University, started the day tied with Diane Baillieux from Belgium, herself a freshman at Baylor University. Both players shot 7-under 65s on the opening day of the tournament and had created a five-shot gap between themselves and the rest of the field.

But six holes into the second round, Miggliaccio was six shots ahead.

Starting on the back nine, Miggliaccio birdied her first two holes and stayed two under through six, while Baillieux, playing two groups ahead, had two early bogeys and a double on the par-three 14th.

Baillieux managed to stop the bleeding with a birdie on 16, and when Miggliaccio doubled the same hole, the margin was three. But four more dropped shots on her final six holes left Baillieux seven shots behind as Miggliaccio played her last 11 holes at even par.

Her round of even-par 72 was tied for low round of the day, and left her as the only player under par at 7 under for the tournament.

That Baillieux shot 79 and still only fell to second place shows how strong her first round was. She has been joined at even par by Anna Redding (Concord, NC), a junior at the University of Virginia, who shot her second straight round of 72.

Kaitlyn Papp (Austin, TX), a freshman at the University of Texas, shot a 75 to sit at 1-over 145 and in a tie for fourth. Amanda Doherty (Atlanta, GA), a sophomore at Florida State University, is at t he same number after rounds of 72-73.

56-year-old Martha Leach (Hebron, KY), the former U.S. Mid-Amateur champion who has competed in over 50 USGA championships, shot a 73 to move into 11th place at 6-over 150. Leach was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame last year.

FIRST ROUND RECAP

A pair of college freshman shot stellar opening rounds of 7-under 65 to take the lead in the Women's South Atlantic Amateur (the SALLY) at Oceanside Country Club.

Diane Baillieux, a freshman at Baylor University, had eight birdies on the day and got it to 8 under par before making her only bogey of the day on the final hole. The Belgium native has experience competing in Florida, having traveled to play in several Dixie Amateur Championships.

Emilia Miggliaccio, a first-year at Wake Forest University, matched Baillieux's score while playing in the group immediately ahead of her. The Cary, NC resident birdied her first two holes, added three in a row to start her back nine, and made two more to complete a bogey-free round.

On a day when only 5 of 92 players managed to break par, Baillieux and Miggliaccio's performances really stood out. They have a five-shot lead over their nearest competitors, Kaitlyn Papp, also a freshman at the University of Texas in her native Austin, shot a 2-under 70, as did junior golfer Jingzhi Deng of the IMG Academy.

Taylor Tomlinson, a senior at the University of Florida in her native Gainesville, was the only other player under par after a 1-under 71.

For the second straight week on the Orange Blossom Circuit, inclement weather wiped out the first round. The same fate befell the Harder Hall Invitational in Sebring last week, won by Yujeong Son of Norman, Oklahoma.

Four of last year's top five finishers, including the winner Kelly Grassel, have since turned professional, clearing the way for a first-time winner this year. Alexa Pano, who finished third in last year's Sally as a 12-year-old before going on to win the Jones/Doherty, shot a 1-over 73 to sit in 13th place.