One hometown player replaced another atop the leaderboard in the Arkansas Women's Amateur golf tournament Thursday at Hot Springs Country Club.
Nora Phillips, with two rounds in the 70s, led by two strokes over Henderson State golfers Sarah Wright and Taylor Reed. Two-time defending champion Peyton Weaver, an Arkansas-Little Rock senior, is another stroke back at 159.
First-round leader Gracen Blount, a Lakeside High senior, dropped seven strokes back after an 85.
Phillips, an early-season Arkansas State Golf Association winner, is at 156 after rounds of 79 and 77 on the Arlington course. Wright's second-round 76 is the lowest score in the eight-person championship flight, which includes Maumelle's Taylor Loeb, ASGA Hall of Famer Julie Oxendine (Dover) and Sherwood's Felisha Lee.
Hot Springs veteran Pat Elliott (162) leads the first senior flight by one stroke over Marianna's Paula Curtis and Bismarck's Carrie Hall, who like Elliott is an HSCC club member. All struggled with their games Thursday after shooting in the 70s Wednesday.
Maumelle's Pam Evans, Little Rock's Mary Pierson and Star City's Paula Moore complete the first senior division. Hall won the senior title last year by six strokes over Moore and went on to claim the ASGA senior women's match play title and player-of-the-year award.
Camden's Linda Carter (172) leads the second senior flight by three strokes over Searcy's Mattie Seward. The group includes Pine Bluff's Phyllis Thomas, Benton's Valarie Little, Little Rock's Jeanne Miller, Hot Springs' Karen Duchac and Sherwood's Kathy Bay.
With players going off eight different holes, today's final round begins with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
Sports on 06/09/2017