BYU golfer Kerstin Fotu leads the Utah Women’s Open

After losing in the semifinals of last month’s Women’s State Amateur, Kerstin Fotu and Tess Blair claimed the top two spots Monday in the first round of the fourth annual Siegfried & Jensen Utah Women’s Open.

Fotu, a BYU golfer from Lone Peak High School, posted a 2-under-par 70 at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club in Lehi. She’ll take a one-stroke lead over Blair, a Sacramento State golfer from Bingham High, into Tuesday’s final round.

Fotu made two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine, then birdied Nos. 14 and 17 to grab the lead in the field of 45 golfers. Blair posted three birdies on the back nine, recovering from a double bogey on the par-3 No. 4.

Two-time champion Lea Garner and Sadie Palmer are tied for low professional at 72, joining Lehi High’s Lila Galeai and 15-year-old Ali Mulhall of Henderson, Nev. Ogden pro Xena Motes carded a 73 that included seven birdies and three double bogeys.

U.S. Women’s Amateur

Women’s State Amateur winner Grace Summerhays posted a 4-over-par 76 in the opening round to lead a foursome of golfers with Utah ties in the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Rockville, Md.

Tuesday’s cut to 64 golfers for match play is projected at 5 over, so Summerhays will have to play better in the second round to advance. So will Allysha Mae Mateo of BYU (77), Kelsey Chugg of Salt Lake City (78) and Chanikan Yongyuan of Southern Utah (79).

from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/2XpczcE