match-play stage of the US Golf Association's Junior Championships -- the same event in which last year she was a beaten finalist.

At the Meridian Golf and Country Club in Indianapolis yesterday, Marshall completed the second qualifying round with a six-over-par 78 which, added to her first round of 75, left her in 8th position overall.

The top 64 players in a massive field of 156 qualified for this morning's match-play stage.

Medalist is Erica Hayashida of Peru who carded rounds of 72 and 73 to finish one over par. Also in the field is America's Emily Kline, the girl who defeated Marshall in last year's final.

Marshall is expected back on the Island this weekend but will not play in next week's 16th annual Atlantic Junior International Championships. She will instead finalise her preparations to take up a golf scholarship at Wake Forest in North Carolina where she heads later this month.

Also competing overseas this week are a number of Bermuda's junior boys who are taking part in the 54-hole Junior Golf Association of America's Tournament of Champions in Alliance, Ohio.

Yesterday's first round saw Duncan Zelkin and Adam Tufts both fire rounds off 77 to take a joint lead in the 18-21 age division. Jimmy Legere carded 85 in that same group.

In the 15-17 division, Chris Garland was just one shot off the lead with 76, while Steven Carruthers returned 85, Kieran Campbell and Jamie Nelmes 87, and Michael Fahy 95. Craig Brown shot 91 in the 13-14 division.