by Scottsdale, Ariz. –Hayley Moore of Escondido, Calif., shot a 4-under-par 68 on Wednesday to clinch the lead at the first round of the 46th annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship presented by the AB Farrington Foundation at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. The tournament continues Thursday and Friday.
Moore, 18, who tied for 2nd place at the 2016 NCAA Championship, felt she was both striking the ball and putting well.
“I knew there birdies out there and I knew which holes I could attack. I didn’t go for the tucked pins, just played it safe. When I was putting I played to the breaks on the green,” said Moore.
Her strategy for the remainder of the tournament is to play the same way she did today by looking for birdie opportunities and when a boogey does happen she’ll remember to “just play steady”.
Moore graduated from high school early to play golf at the collegiate level. This is the sixth consecutive Silver Belle Championship. Her goal is to attend qualifying school next year.
“It’s on one of my lists of things I want to do!” Moore quipped.
Shooting a 3-under-par 69 was Alexa Melton, 16, of Covina, Calif., with 4 birdies and an eagle on the par 5 12th hole.
“I hooked my tee shot into the rough but it was not too bad of a position so I used my 5 wood and got a couple feet from the green and then I chipped in for the eagle,” Melton said.
This is the first Silver Belle for the sophomore who attends South Hill High School in Covina, Calif.
Tied with Melton at 3-under-par is Gabby Barker (Shoshone-Paiute), 20, of Caldwell, Idaho. Barker attends Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. Barker was named a Big 12 Player of the Year. Her sister Tyler works at Talking Stick Golf Club so she has been able to spend some time with her sister during her stay in Scottsdale.
There are six US players who are ranked in the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings – Alyaa Abdulghany (74), Gabby Barker (69), Jennifer Kupcho (73), Haley Moore (68), Krystal Quihuis (2013 Silver Belle Champion 72), and Alana Uriell (74).
