Alexa Pano shoots 70 to reach match play

Lake Worth teenager Alexa Pano shot a one-under-par 70 Tuesday to easily qualify for match play competition in the U.S. Women’s Amateur golf tournament at Kingston Springs, Tenn.

Pano, who turns 14 on Aug. 20, finished with a two-round total of 136. She shot a five-under 66 in the first round, the lowest score among the 156 players.

After two rounds of stroke play, the top 64 women qualify for match play, which starts today. Pano was assured of a top-10 finish with about a quarter of the field still on the course.

Pano and one of her playing partners, South Korean Hyun Selin, battled for the lead through most of the morning round. With two holes to play, Pano was at eight-under and Selin at seven-under. But Selin finished birdie-birdie while Pano took a double-bogey on her final hole, the 405-yard, par-4 ninth. That gave Selin, who chipped in on the final hole, a three-shot edge.

“I felt like I played pretty solid over the past couple days,” Pano said. “I mean, definitely didn’t get as many putts to fall today as yesterday and finished with a really stupid hole. But other than that, I still felt really solid and happy with how I played.”

Three of Pano’s four birdies came on par-5 holes. She is five-under on par-5s through two rounds.

Pano was unfazed by temperatures in the 90s, a stark contrast to the chilly, foggy conditions at the U.S. Girls National Championship last month at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif. Pano finished second in that event.

“I haven’t really felt the heat much this week,” she said. “I think it’s been gorgeous the past two days, so I’m loving this weather way more than Poppy Hills.”

The match play schedule features one round today, two rounds Thursday, quarterfinals Friday, semifinals Saturday and the 36-hole championship match Sunday.