Morales takes a one-shot lead over Canada’s Terrill Samuel into the final 36 holes at Royal Dornoch after a second successive 74.
Out at 7:33am in round two, former Duke University player Morales missed the strong winds that played havoc with the later starters. The Lima native took advantage of the benign conditions to play the Struie Course in three-over-par to add to her 74, two-over, around the Championship Course in round one. She sits on five-over-par 148.
Morales was born in Peru but moved to the United States with her parents when she was eight years old, where she learned to play at Detroit Golf Club. She returned to Peru as a teenager and represented the Peruvian national team in eight South American Cups.
She joined Duke as Peru’s number one junior and studied Russian, International Studies and Anthropology, graduating with honours. Now a resident in Austin, Texas, Morales is on course to take the honours in the Senior Women’s Amateur.
Back nine grind
Samuel got caught in the strong winds that forced a two hour and three minute suspension of play because balls were moving on the greens. Her round came to a halt after she played the 14th hole.
“I was really playing well,” said the English-born Canadian. “I was out in two-under by starting birdie, birdie and then had all pars to the eighth hole. Once we hit nine it became pretty hard.”
The 61-year-old from Toronto won this year’s Florida Women’s Senior Amateur Championship. She is a former Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur champion ( 2015), and was runner-up in the 2017 US Senior Women’s Amateur.
Hard to stand up
She said, “I’ve played over here quite a bit so I’m used to strong winds, but this was very difficult. It was hard to even stand up at times. It was pretty bad.
“I’m happy with my score today. I was told the regular par for women is 76, so to shoot 74 in those conditions is very good.
“I’ve been playing well this year. I won the Florida Senior and so I had a bit of confidence before I came over. I’ve got a good short game, and I’m a good iron player and if I struggle with any part of my game it would be off the tee. I didn’t struggle off the tee today. I’m pretty good at keeping it low, so when we got into the wind I managed okay.”
Unreachable par-4s
“There were just a few par-4s on the back nine I just couldn’t hit in two shots. The 14th is 401 yards and was impossible to get to in two shots. But the 16th was 387 uphill into the wind and I couldn’t get there either.”
Overnight leader Caroline Berry returned an eight-over 79 around the Struie course and is tied for third along with fellow Englishwomen Emma Brown and 2019 champion Lara Tennant of the United States.
84 years young
Morales isn’t the only South American in the field. Guatamala’s Beatriz Arenas has returned rounds of 82 and 84, the former score bettering her age and the latter one matching it.
It was an impressive performance on Royal Dornoch’s two demanding tests against much younger players, and further proves that golf really is a game for life.
