Sally Watson claimed the opening-round lead at the ANNIKA Invitational at 2-under-par 70..

Watson vs. Watson

Most players wil tell you that they are playing against the course - not their fellow players. That being the case, the score following Saturday's first round is: Sally Watson 1, Watson Course 0 - after Sally was the only player to beat par in the first round of play, shooting a 2-under-par 70.

After parring her way through the front nine, she found her groove on the back, making four birdies to get to 4-under-par. The Watson Course connected on a couple of late punches, however, as Sally bogeyed holes 16 and 17, before closing out with a par.

Originally from Scotland, Watson compiled a 3-2 record as a member of the GB&I team at this year's Curtis Cup. Among her career highlights is making the cut at the 2007 Women's British Open. Now 17 years old and residing in Bradenton, Fla., Watson signed a letter of intent to attend Stanford University this fall.

Read more about Saturday's opening round and see today's scores here, and follow the remainder of the tournament through FootJoy Live Scoring.

 

Yueer Cindy Feng is playing well in her first AJGA Invitational outside the Junior All-Star Series.

Making Every Opportunity Count

Yueer Cindy Feng was a late addition to the field, replacing a withdrawal Friday, but too late to play a practice round. Halfway through the first round of the ANNIKA Invitational, that did not seem to matter, as Feng hovered around the top of the leaderboard. With three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine, Feng made the turn at even par.

Feng, at age 12, also happens to be the youngest player in the field, although she has more AJGA victories than most players. In 2008, Feng, kicked off her career by medalling at the Medicus Preseason Junior at Rochester presented by Wegmans LPGA and Xerox Classic. She then went on to win all five AJGA Junior All-Star events she played, including the Mayors Junior All-Star Invitational. The Junior All-Star Series is only for 12-15-year-olds, and Feng dominated. Her near-perfect 2008 record included six victories and a ninth-place finish in her one AJGA Open tournament.

Now that she is getting her first chance at an AJGA Invitational with older players included, it is no surprise that Feng is finding her way to the top yet again. There is no intimidation factor for this 12-year-old.