South African amateur Kaleigh Telfer advanced to the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, albeit through a playoff on Thursday.
The final round of the inaugural championship will be played by the top 30 players through two competitive rounds, but all 72 will have the chance to play Augusta National during a practice round on Friday.
Telfer was well-placed to make her debut at the famed Masters venue after an opening 69 left her one off the lead. That position changed drastically during round two as she failed to find the kind of form that helped her to such a bright start.
Four pars in a row was good enough to maintain her place before making the turn two-over after bogeys at 5 and 7. Once again, she regathered and rattled off five consecutive pars to maintain her place under-par for the event.
A bogey at the par-4 13th would start her slide as she doubled the 15th and then dropped another shot on the penultimate hole that saw her move into contention for having to play off for a place in the last 30.
And that’s exactly how things panned out as Telfer joined 10 others in a share of 21st place. That forced a 11-women playoff, but fortunately for the Joburg-born Auburn educated young star, a par was enough to advance.
America’s Jennifer Kupcho leads at -5.
