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Melissa Siviter of Alpharetta, Georgia battled tough conditions to shoot a round of two under-par 70 and grab the overnight lead at the 19th Connecticut Women’s Open presented by the Lincoln Motor Company. Siviter holds a one stroke advantage over Vivian Tsui (Markham, Ontario) and Kayla Lawrence (Deland, Florida).
Through her first thirteen holes, Siviter had made just one birdie on the opening hole and a bogey on the third hole. As conditions became easier throughout the day, Siviter relied on her experience of playing in England to make three birdies in her final five holes to take the lead.
“I really felt comfortable, even with the weather, it is very similar to back in England,” said Siviter. “I was comfortable on the greens, which helped me roll in some great putts. I am feeling very confident in my game right now, so I will keep doing what I am doing to try and be successful tomorrow.”
Siviter holds a one stroke lead over Kayla Lawrence of Deland, Florida and Vivian Tsui of Markam, Ontario. Lawrence, who struggled early in her round, was able to string together three straight birdies on holes #14-16.
“I started off with a birdie on 1, but struggled a bit in the middle,” said Lawrence. “I kept seeing the leaderboard and when I made it to hole 14, I gave myself a few great opportunities for birdies and converted on holes 14, 15, 16. I got off the tee pretty well today, which really helped me set myself up for birdie opportunities.”
Tied with Lawrence is Tsui who rebounded from her opening nine 40 with a blistering back-nine 32 (-4) to jump into contention.
“I started off a little slow (+3 thru 9), but I was able to get things going on the back nine, and I hope to keep that momentum going tomorrow,” said Tsui. “When I made the turn, I told myself one shot at a time, and it really worked out well for me on the back nine.”
Play in the final round of the 36-hole championship begins at 7:30am Wednesday off the first tee, and concludes with the final pairing of Siviter, Tsui and Lawrence on the first tee at 10:00 a.m. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. Live scoring, photos, stories, and updates can be found on the official tournament website at CTWomensOpen.com.
Defending Champion
Jessica Carafiello of Stamford, Connecticut, the 2016 Champion, shot a round of even-par 72 and sits just two shots back heading into tomorrow’s final round. Carafiello, who successfully qualified for her second consecutive KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last year, played remarkably steady golf despite the conditions and made just one birdie and one bogey on her round.
“Considering the conditions with the wind and the rain, I am very pleased with my round,” said Carafiello. “I made a lot of pars today, and hit a lot of fairways which gives me confidence going into tomorrow. I am very comfortable at this tournament, having grown up around Connecticut and New York, and this event feels like home for me.”
Low Amateur Watch
A total of thirty-eight amateurs began play in hopes of becoming the first amateur to capture the Women’s Open since Megan Khang won back-to-back titles in 2014-15. Julia Ford of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts shot a round of two over-par 74 and currently sits just four back of the lead. Ford, who is a rising sophomore at the University of Virginia, made three birdies in her final nine holes to charge up the leaderboard.
