Date: April 09, 2015
Author: Mark Hayes

Karis gets her SA groove back

Emerging Queenslander Karis Davidson has renewed her passion for South Australia, storming to the lead in the Australian Girls’ Amateur Championship.

Davidson, runner-up in the Australian Amateur at The Grange last year, systematically picked her way through the field today with a bogey-free second round of four-under-par 69.

Her exemplary form at Tea Tree Gully Golf Club, near Adelaide, gave her a three-shot buffer with 36 holes to be played on tomorrow’s final day.

Sydney’s Celina Yuan (70) and New Zealender Brooke Hamilton (72) shot sub-par rounds today to join first-round leader Olivia Kline (77), of Melbourne, at one over in a tie for second.

The only other red number of the day was posted by Perth’s Hira Naveed, whose 71 brought her back into the frame at six over after an opening 81.

The shock of the day came when Golf Australia national squad member Becky Kay stumbled through three double-bogeys to manage an 80, which left her 11 shots off the -3 pace of her fellow Queenslander.

Davidson, 16, a member at Sanctuary Cove, said she enjoyed the South Australian conditions.

“It’s mainly because the courses here are pretty tight with plenty of trees and it really just makes you focus in on your shots because you’ll get in trouble if you’re not straight,” she said.

“And the greens are soft and smooth, so you can putt with confidence.”

Davidson, whose personal-best tournament round is five under, said she wouldn’t do anything different in tomorrow’s final rounds.

“I had a good day today … happy I didn’t make any bogeys. I’ll just try my best tomorrow, have fun and see how it goes,” she said.