Young golfers made late run

Katherine Hull and Catherine Cartwright had career-best finishes.
By KURT SNYDER
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
VIENNA -- Chances for a career-best finish for Katherine Hull did not look good after Friday afternoon.
Hull, a 22-year-old rookie from Sunrise Beach, Australia, shot a 4-over-par 76 on the first day. But after shooting two of the top rounds of the weekend, Hull finished at 6-under par and in sixth place in the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic at Squaw Creek Country Club.
Mindset
"You remain really patient," she said of her mindset after Friday. Her previous career best was a tie for 14th at the Wegman's Rochester LPGA.
"I actually hit the ball really well on Friday. I think I hit 15 greens," she added. "I couldn't read a putt to save myself."
Hull started on the 10th hole Saturday and bogeyed it to fall to 5-over. But she finished the round with seven birdies. Hull's 6-under 66 was the lowest score of the day, and ironically, playing partner Michelle Estill shot a 5-under 67 for the second-lowest score of the day.
Then Sunday, Hull had more magic as she and third-place finisher Leta Lindley waged a friendly battle. Hull had five birdies on her way to a 4-under 68, and Lindley topped her with six birdies and a 6-under round of 66.
"We were kind of egging each other on," Hull said. "Yesterday, I played with [Estill], and we were kind of neck-and-neck. Then today, [Lindley] played awesome."
Cartwright's top finish
Catherine Cartwright, 21, of Bonita Springs, Fla., had one of the top rounds of the morning play Sunday as she shot a 5-under 67 to finish in a tie for seventh.
The finish was Cartwright's first career top 10. Her career-best finish before Sunday had been a tie for 16th at the Safeway International earlier in the year.
Cartwright began Sunday at even par. After a birdie on the fourth hole, she missed birdie putts on six and seven. But she made a birdie on the ninth hole to jump start her to a 3-under 32 on the back nine.
Cartwright said the irony of her round was her success on the par 3s. She said she usually gains ground on par 5s, but she had pars on all three par 5s Sunday. Instead, she birdied all three par 3s.
"I was hitting my irons really well today," she said. "The greens are soft still, so they are sticking."
Cartwright first appeared on the leaderboard after her birdie at the ninth hole and continued to climb with birdies at the 12th and 15th holes.
Cartwright moved into the top 10 with her final birdie on the 16th hole and had the top 54-hole score when she finished with consecutive pars as the leaders were still on the course. But Cartwright said she tried to avoid looking at the leaderboard.
"You just keep plugging along. You can't get all wrapped up in that stuff," she said.
ksnyder@vindy.com