Dixie Women's Amateur: Roberts stays hot, takes 4-shot lead

Taylor Roberts (Parkland, Fla.) shot a 4-under 68 to break away from the field and take a four-shot lead into the final round of the Dixie Women's Amateur at Palm Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach, Fla.

The Florida State freshman started the day one shot behind overnight leader Ellen Hume (Ole Miss, England), and quickly fell two back with a bogey at the first. But Hume immediately went bogey-bogey to create a tie, and from there Roberts took control.

In nine holes from the 6th through the 14th, Roberts went six under, including an eagle on the par-5 13th. Hume rebounded with a couple of birdies of her own, but not enough to keep pace. Still, her 73 was enough to get into the final group with Roberts for tomorrow's final round.

Roberts will carry the confidence of winning two tournaments already this fall. In October, she erased a four-shot final-round deficit to win the Florida Golf Association's Fall Elite Series event at Mark Bostick GC. One week later at the Golfweek Sandestin Amateur, she won by seven shots.

She also won the Golfweek Myrtle Beach Collegiate in June and the Dustin Johnson World Junior in March.

Fresno State senior Brigitte Thibault (Canada) shot her third straight 71 to move into solo third place at 3 under, six behind Roberts. She is tied with Stanford commit Megha Ganne. Roberts, Hume and Ganne will be in the final threesome at 10:54am local time Sunday.

ROUND TWO RECAP

At Palm-Aire Country Club, Ellen Hume of Ole Miss and England shot her second-consecutive 69 to take the 36-hole lead in the Women's Dixie Amateur. Hume has made just two bogeys in the tournament so far, the lowest of any player in the field.

She leads Florida State freshman Taylor Roberts (Parkland, Fla.) by one shot. Roberts has won two amateur tournaments this fall, the FSGA Fall Elite Series at the Mark Bostick Golf Course and the the Golfweek Sandestin Amateur.

University of Virginia freshman Jennifer Cleary (Wilmington, Del.) sits in third place, three shots back at three under par. Stanford commit Megha Ganne (Holdmel, N.J.) and Fresno State senior Brigitte Thibault (Canada) are tied for fourth at 2 under.

ROUND ONE RECAP

Daniela Ballesteros, a Purdue University sophomore from Peru, shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Dixie Women's Amateur at Palm-Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach, Fla.

Playing the Cypress Course at Palm-Aire, Ballesteros had a wild round that included eight birdies (six on the front nine), along with two bogeys and a double.

She takes a one-shot lead over Ellen Hume, an Ole Miss junior from England, whose round was tidier with four birdies against a single bogey.

The women's leaderboard is crowded just below the top two players. Five are at 2-under 70, another three at 1 under, and seven more at even par.