Cleary, Brinker have Delaware moving up in USGA Women's State Team Championship

   There’s still some golf to be played in the second round of the USGA Women’s State Team Championship after a rain delay eventually forced the suspension of play due to darkness Wednesday at the Club of Las Campanas’ Sunrise Course in Santa Fe, N.M.

   But it looks like all three of the tri-state entries, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, will survive the cut to the low 21 states and will get to play in Thursday’s final round.

   The big story among those three states was the tremendous play of the youngest team in the field, Wilmington’s trio of teen standouts, Archmere Academy’s Phoebe Brinker, Tower Hill’s Jennifer Cleary, and The Charter of Wilmington’s Esther Park.

   All three were still on the course when play was called for the day, but the First State stands in seventh place at 5-over-par over the 6,077-yard, par-72 Sunrise Course layout, just six shots behind leader New York, which completed play at 1-under 287.

   The big move was being made by Cleary, who had an outstanding summer highlighted by appearances in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship (just missed match play) at Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, Mo. and the Girls Junior PGA Championship at The Country Club of St. Albans’ Lewis & Clark Course in St. Albans, Mo. (tied for 65^th).

   The 16-year-old Cleary, who had opened with an 80 Tuesday, was 3-under for her round through 16 holes when play was called.

   The 15-year-old Brinker, who finished tied for 21^st in the Girls Junior PGA, had matched par with her opening-round 72 and was tied for fifth in the individual scoring. Brinker was even-par through 13 holes when play was called, leaving her still at even-par individually.

   The top two scores of a state’s three players are counted so Delaware was able to toss the 16-year-old Park’s opening-round 82. Park stood at 6-over through 13 when play was called.

   Brinker’s 72 and Cleary’s 80 gave Delaware an opening round of 8-over 152.

   New Jersey is tied for 17^th after completing its second-round at 16-over 304. The Garden State added a 7-over 151 to its opening-round 153.

   New Jersey was led by Tara Fleming, who is coming off a run to the semifinals of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Waverly Country Club in Portland, Ore. earlier this month.     Fleming of Jersey City, N.J., fired a 3-over 75 in Wednesday’s second round.

   Kelly Sim, a senior at the Academy of the Holy Angels in North Jersey who will join the powerhouse Northwestern program next year, added a 76 to give the Jersey girls their 151 total.

   It didn’t look good for Pennsylvania earlier in the day. The Keystone State completed its round early, struggling to a 10-over 154 that gave it a 13-over 305 total. When play was suspended, though, Pennsylvania was tied for 18^th at 17-over 305.

   No matter what happens behind them, Pennsylvania looks like it should be through to the final round.

   Reigning Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion Katie Miller of Jeannette was rock solid again as she matched par with a 72 after opening with a 73.

   But Miller’s partner in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C. earlier this year, former Chichester and Purdue standout Aurora Kan, struggled to an 82.

   Kan’s score was matched by Pennsylvania’s third player, Katrin Wolfe, the head of athletics compliance at Pitt-Johnstown and a former Penn State standout. I’m sure Kan and Wolfe would like to get another shot at the Sunrise Course.

   Kan, Brynn Walker, Radnor’s two-time PIAA champion who’s a sophomore at North Carolina, and former Penn State standout Ellen Ceresko teamed up to give Pennsylvania a third-place finish in the USGA Women’s State Team Championship two years at Delhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

   New York, led by former Northwestern standout Ina Kim, added a 1-over 145 to its opening-round 142 for a 1-under 287 total that has the Empire State atop the team standings.

   Kim, who returned to competitive golf last year after establishing her career in finance, carded a second straight 1-under 71 Wednesday. Reigning New York Women’s Amateur champion Marianna Monaco added a 74.

   Florida, led by 44-year-old Tara Joy-Connelly, is tied for second with Tennessee at even-par 288, just a shot behind New York.

   Joy-Connelly, who relocated to Palm Beach Gardens after dominating the Massachusetts women’s amateur scene for years, fired a 2-under 70.

   Meghan Stasi, the 39-year-old South Jersey native who has won four U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur titles and eight Philadelphia Women’s Amateur crowns, added an even-par 72 to give the Sunshine State a 2-under 142. It had opened up with a 2-over 146 Tuesday.

   Florida’s third, recently turned 13-year-old phenom Alexa Pano, posted a second straight 73 for a 2-over 146. So even if Joy-Connelly or Stasi should struggle in the final round, there won’t be much of a dropoff if Florida needs Panos’ score.

   Speaking of phenoms, 16-year-old Ashley Gilliam ripped off five straight birdies on her way to the round of the day, a 5-under 67, to help Tennessee join Florida in the tie for second at even-par 288.  Jayna Choi, a pretty decorated junior player herself, added a 75 for Tennessee, which matched Florida’s 2-under 142 Wednesday to get its share of second.

   Riley Runnell, a 19-year-old who is considering a professional career after deciding to pass up a collegiate career, had led Tennessee, and the rest of the field, with an opening round of 4-under 68 Tuesday, but Tennessee was able to toss her 77 Wednesday. So, much like Florida, Tennessee has the depth to withstand a bad round by one of its three players.