Round 1 Recap

The Laura Diaz FCWT 2008 Girls National Championship is is underway with over 65 young ladies representing 10 countries and 21 states.

Setting the pace early was Victoria Kiser of Orlando, FL (2010). Miss Kiser was named the Girls East Region Player of the Year at Friday night's Awards Dinner. During the regular season, Tori won 3 events, had 6 Top 3 finishes and 8 top 5 finishes. She carded 4 birdies and only one bogey on Saturday which brought her to the scorer's table with a 3 under par 69. Two strokes back is

Laetitia Beck of Caesaria, ISRAEL (2010). Miss Beck won twice this season and had 5 Top 3 finishes, for which she was named a 1st Team FCWT All-American on Friday night.

Two strokes back of Miss Beck and in 3rd place is

Elizabeth Brightwell of Nellysford, VA (2009). Miss Brightwell, who had two Top 10 finishes during the regular season, led this division with 5 birdies on Saturday. Two players are tied for 4th at 75:

Maria Piccio of the PHILIPPINES (2009), who won the World Woods event, and

Aurelie Wiriath of Fort Lauderdale, FL (2009), who had 3 Top 10 finishes this season.

Three players are tied for 6th at 76:

Susana Benavides of BOLIVIA (2009), Kyle Roig of Pembroke Pines, FL (2011), and

Daniela Lendl of Bradenton, FL (2011). Miss Benavides finished in the Top 10 in all 9 of her events this season. Miss Roig finished 6th in last year's National Championship with rounds of 78-78-71. Daniela Lendl, who was presented the "For the Good of the Game Award" on Friday night, along with Wilson Bowen of Winnetka, IL, won twice this season: La Costa and Feather Sound, the only player in this division to win on each coast.

Karen Chung of Livingston, NJ (2013), who won the Mystic Dunes event, and Lauren Greenlief of Oakton, VA (2008), who was named to the Academic All-American Team on Friday night, are tied for 9th place at 77.

Five players are tied for 11th at 78:

Paige Spirinac of Monument, CO (2011), who was named the West Region Player of the Year in this division, Shannon Pak of New Orleans, LA (2011),Samantha Morrell of North Kingstown, RI (2009), who won the New England Open,
Marika Liu of Beverly Hills, CA (2011), and

Victoria Bauman of River Hills, WI (2009).

Ten girls teed off in the Girls 11-14 division of the Laura Diaz FCWT 2008 National Championship representing 5 states.

Thirteen year old Carly Goldstein of Coral Springs, FL (2013) took the first round lead with a 77. Miss Goldstein finished 5th at the Inverrary East Open in the Girls 13-18 division. Just two strokes back of Miss Goldstein is

Bryce Schroeder of Pueblo, CO (2012). Miss Schroeder, 14, had two second place finishes this season.

In a tie for 3rd place are

Stephanie Liu of St. Albans, MO (2015) and

Samantha Wagner of Easton, PA (2015). Miss Liu won two events during the regular season and was named to the Faces of the Future team. Miss Wagner was named the Player of Promise for the Laura Diaz Girls 11-14 division for her 4 wins this season.

Lauren Gros of Gainesville, FL (2014), 12, who won the Eagle Creek Open, is in 5th place at 81.