Kelly Sim Fires One-under 71 To Lead First Round Of Women's Amateur

Kelly Sim of Alpine, a 17-year-old rising senior at Holy Angels Academy in Westwood, fired a one-under-par 71 to hold a two-shot lead over 20-year-old Allison Herring of TPC Jasna Polana after the first round of 36-hole qualifying for the 92ndNew Jersey State Golf Association Women’s Amateur championship at 5,802-yard Somerset Hills Country Club in Bernardsville.

Four shots behind Sim at 75 were defending champion Alice Chen of Neshanic Valley, who has won two Women’s Amateurs, and 18-year-old Grace Cuttone of Somerset Hills. Christine Shao of New Jersey, who attends Pingry School, National and former Wagner golfer Noelle Maertz of Hyatt Hills each shot 77.

The final round of stroke play continues on Wednesday. After 36 holes, the low 16 scorers advance to match-play on Thursday and Friday.

The Fourth Women’s Mid-Amateur takes place concurrently and is based on 36 holes of stroke play. The early leaders include Kelly Loughney of Galloping Hill and Kathleen Maloney of Spring Lake, who each shot 81. Adrienne McLean of Somerset Hills is third at 83.

Tied for fourth at 84 are 2015 champion Tara Fleming of New Jersey National and Donna Young of Springdale.

WOMEN'S AMATEUR LEAERBOARD WOMEN'S MID-AMATEUR PHOTO GALLERY

Sim, an All-State golfer for Holy Angels who has committed to play golf at Northwestern University, played Somerset Hills for the first time on Tuesday.

“The beautiful greens are tricky and sloping and you’ve got to play the slopes. You can’t attack the pin,” said Sim, who tied for third in the girls’ high school Tournament of Champions this spring. “It’s a pretty straight-forward golf course. Where you place the second shot is most critical.”

In her short career, Sim has won four AJGA tournaments, including one this summer at Harmony Country Club in Kentucky.

Her round included four birdies and three bogeys. On the 456-yard, par-5 No. 6 Sim reached in two, and got her first putt, from 80 feet, to within 12. She sank the 12-footer for a birdie.

Herring, a rising junior who plays golf at the University of Tennessee, won the NJSGA Four-Ball Championship with Chen in 2014.

Her round included three bogeys and two birdies, but she bogeyed her final two holes, Nos. 17 and 18.

“It’s gorgeous out here. They provide a challenge off the tee and you need good placement off the tee. A lot of times you have to pick a target and commit to the shot,” said Herring, who was second in the TOCC as a high school senior at Montgomery H.S.