Hilo's Wilson opens with 77

Advertiser Staff

Hilo High sophomore Amanda Wilson shot an 8-over-par 77 yesterday in the first round of the 26th U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. She leads Hawai'i golfers going into the final round of stroke play.

The U.S. Golf Association event is being played at Sunriver Resort Meadows Course in Oregon.

Lindsey Wright of Australia was the only player to break par yesterday, shooting 69.

Wilson is tied for 29th and 12-year-old Michelle Wie (79) is tied for 46th. The top 64 after today qualify for match play.

Hawai'i's Lisa Kajihara and Anna Umemura are tied for 84th at 82. Joan Shimozaki, Kira-Ann Murashige and Merynn Ito shot 84 and are tied for 96th. Kayla Morinaga shot 90 and Whitney Ueno 91.

Honolulu, the defending team champion, is tied for 10th with a score of 156 (best two-of-three scores). Phoenix leads with 150. Lihu'e is 31st at 174.

• Hilo duo advances: Hilo's Kristen Higa and Gabriel Wilson won the Aloha Section Westfield Junior PGA Championship at Honolulu Country Club yesterday.

By winning the girls and boys divisions, Higa and Wilson qualified for the 27th national Westfield Junior PGA Championship, July 17-20, at Westfield Group Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio.

Higa, 17, had a final-round 79 for a two-day total of 152. That was one shot better than defending girls champion Ayumi Hori and Stephanie Kono, both of Honolulu.

Wilson, 17, shot a 71 for a two-day total of 145 and a two-stroke victory over Kailua's Koa Furtado. Furtado, the first-round leader, scored a hole-in-one yesterday on the 141-yard fifth hole, using a 9-iron