Bonita Springs golfer leads FSGA’s Women’s Amateur

Kimberly Benedict charged into the lead at the Women’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship on Saturday with a second-round 69 at Sara Bay Country Club. The Bonita Springs golfer was the only player under par during the penultimate round with her 3-under score in Sarasota. She is 1-over for the tournament with a 145 total.

Benedict’s round opened a three-shot lead as she emerged from a crowded leaderboard at the start of the day. Lake Mary’s Roanne Tomlinson is the only golfer within three strokes after shooting a 74 for the second straight day. She is at 4-over-par 178. Miami Beach’s Jamie Freedman, whose 71 gave her the lead after the first day, struggled to a 78 on Saturday and is in third place at 5-over par.

Bradenton’s Ailsa Clark leads the five Manatee County golfers in the field at 12-over-par 156, which is tied for 22nd. However, the Florida Gulf Coast rising sophomore is only four strokes out of the top 10.

Clark is trailed by Sara DeMarco, who struggled to a 10-over round Saturday and slipped to 17-over par. Sophia Warren is three strokes behind DeMarco after shooting an 82 for the second straight day and Bradenton’s Caitlin Cotterill, who plays at Furman, is two more strokes behind Warren. Maya Isom, a recent Lakewood Ranch High School alumnus who is headed to Sacred Heart, rounds out the area’s golfers at 22-over par.

Boy Junior Am: Fred Biondi of Port St. Lucie shot a second-round 64 at Bent Pine Golf Club on Saturday to take a three-shot lead in the 16-18 division of the 63rd annual Boys Junior Amateur Championship in Vero Beach.

Bradenton resident Max Coutsolioutsos is the top local in the field. He is tied for 13th at 146, 10 shots behind the leader. Two shots behind Coutsolioutsos is Bradenton resident Drew Angelo. Matt Bruton made the cut on the number after a second-round 79 left him with a two-day total of Luke Farmer.

No area boy made the cut (top 20 and ties) in the 13-15 division. Tampa’s Tyler Wilkes holds a two-shot lead after a second-round 72 gave him a 137 total. Bradenton’s Dylan Gabbart finished with a 153 total and Bryan Choi shot a 156. The cut was at 146.

This story was originally published July 8, 2017 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Bonita Springs golfer leads FSGA’s Women’s Amateur."