Emma Bennett got Australia off to superb start in the opening round of the women’s World Amateur Teams Championship in South Africa earlier today. The talented Victorian posted a three under par 69 on the Stellenbosch course near Cape Town to put her team in outright seventh position from 42 nations. Bennett played some of the best golf of her career and helped bolster Australia s chances of winning its third Espirito Santo Trophy. She blitzed the back nine with four birdies and the day s fourth best round. Length from the tee and superb iron play was the backbone of her stellar performance. Team manager Ian Triggs was overwhelmed by Bennett s score in tough conditions. Emma played the best golf she’s played in the last two years, Triggs said. It was a class performance in every department. Frances Bondad and Kate Combes both struggled on the closing stretch of holes to post rounds of 74 and 80 respectively. Bondad got off to a shaky start with a string of bogies on the opening holes. But she settled before the turn with two birdies in succession. Around the back the New South Wales golfer scrambled her way to one under par. But the final three holes proved costly. She took bogey on 17 and then double bogey on 18 to pull the Australian team from fourth to seventh place. Combes, representing Australia for the first time, struggled to find form despite her best efforts. The Victorian failed to recover on several occasions and was unable to claw her way back into the game. Like Bondad, she finished with two double bogies on the last four holes. Triggs said Combes score didn t reflect the way she played. He said a few unlucky breaks cost her any chance of turning things around. When you get a few bad breaks it can be difficult to get things back. Kate didn t really play badly. It was just one of those days she ll have to move on from. Triggs said he was pleased with the overall performance from all players. He said the team was optimistic about the second round and they were looking forward to taking on the De Zalze course where they ll be paired with Chile and Belgium in the first group of the day. It was a very good performance by the team. They re still in touch with the leaders, said Triggs. Japan, spearheaded by a seven-under par 65 by Rikako Morita, go into the series at five under par. They lead defending champions Sweden, Chinese Taipei and host nation South African by two shots. Results: Round One World Amateur Teams Championship, Stellenbosch South Africa 137 Japan 139 Sweden, South Africa, Chinese Taipei 141 Germany 142 Canada 143 Australia 144 USA 145 Korea, Spain, England 146 France, New Zealand (S Nicholson 76+, S Ahn 73 N Krishna 73) 147 Colombia 148 Italy 149 Czech Republic 150 Russia, Wales, Chile, Venezuela Leading individuals: 65 Rikako Morita (Japan) 66 Pei-lin Yu (Chinese Taipei) 68 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 69 Emma Bennett (Australia) 69 Sandra Gal (Germany), Ashleigh Simon (South Africa)
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