AUSSIES BARELY CAUSING OPEN BETTING RIPPLE
AUSTRALIAN rookie Bronte Macauley has a first-up encounter at the Vans US Open with the women deemed most likely to prevent Australia winning the women’s world crown of surfing this year.
American Courtney Conlogue has been installed as favourite for the US Open crown despite sitting in fourth place on the world tour rankings behind Aussies Tyler Wright, Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons.
Gilmore, a six time world champion, doesn’t even rate a mention in a piece on the World Surf League site rating the women with the best chance of knocking Wright from No. 1 at Huntington Beach – the midway point of the women’s championship tour.
Instead it is Conlogue, with two wins, a fifth and a pair of ninths this season, being touted as the favourite for victory at her local break.
Macauley will tackle Conlogue and fellow American Saige Erickson Ericsson in her round one heat when competition begins as early as this weekend, with Wright slated to take on Hawaiian Coco Ho and a wildcard.
Gilmore, who has never won at Huntington Beach, has possibly the toughest test of the Aussies with her round one heat with defending champion Tatiana WestonWebb from the US and inform France’s Pauline Ado.
Tatiana Weston-Webb finished runner-up to Conlogue at the last world tour event in massive swell in Fiji.
“It will be tough to beat the girls, especially Courtney (Conlogue) on her home turf, but I’ll do my best,” Gilmore said.
Fitzgibbons will take on fiesty Aussie rookie Keely Andrew and South African Bianca Buitendag, an injury replacement for American Malia Manuel.