Vanessa Borovilos sets scoring record

BANDON, Ore. — A crowd had gathered around the ninth green at Bandon Dunes, with whispers weaving through the gallery about the history about to happen.

Canadian Vanessa Borovilos, on the par-5 green in two shots, was a couple putts away from history. Sitting at 8 under for her round, an eagle would tie her for the lowest score by a female golfer in USGA championship history. A birdie would still put her in the record books.

Th eagle attempt slid past the hole, but she poured in the birdie put from 4 feet and the crowd rejoiced. Borovilos had completed the lowest round in the history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Borovilos shot 9-under 63 on Tuesday at Bandon Dunes, setting a record for the lowest round of stroke play in the 125-year history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. On a calm, sunny morning along Oregon’s Pacific Coast, Borovilos had 10 birdies and climbed up the leaderboard one birdie at a time. She sits at 7 under overall, one behind leader Eila Galitsky after the morning wave and will be one of the top seeds heading into match play, which begins Wednesday.

“Being off early in the morning, there’s really no wind. We were kind of just cruising out there,” Borovilos said. “Today, I think I took a little bit more time on my shots, just to make sure I felt completely comfortable over every shot.

“But once the putts started falling, it was kind of easy to get into that rhythm and enjoy the views where I could, so it was a good day.”

Borovilos, a rising sophomore at Texas A&M, had six birdies in her first nine holes, the back nine at Bandon Dunes, to turn in 6-under 30. She started the front with a birdie then carded her lone bogey of the day, but no need to fret. A pair of birdies followed that up, and she closed with the birdie on the 18th to sign a record scorecard.

After she made about a 25 footer on the 18th hole to turn in 6 under, Borovilos jokingly asked her coach what the course record was. She said she got lucky with a couple putts catching the hole, but the momentum started early, and she rode it into the early afternoon.

“I think it is my record personally,” Borovilos said, “but it’s just another day. We have a couple more matches to go this week, so not thinking too much of it.

“I don’t think I’ve had 10 birdies before. I was enjoying it.”