Ebonie Burgess shot the best round of any Bermudian so far at the Women?s World Amateur Team Golf Championships in South Africa yesterday to help push the team up the leaderboard for the second day running.

Bermuda now lie in 31st place out of 44 teams on plus-26 after three rounds, with the final 18 holes to be played today at the Stellenbosch Golf Club just outside of Cape Town.

Burgess, who was crowned the women?s Bermuda Amateur Strokeplay champion earlier this year at Port Royal, carded an even-par round of 72 at the tricky De Zalze Golf Club, where fast greens and narrow fairways have made low scoring a challenge for even the best players on show at the most important event in the amateur game.

Burgess? played the front nine in two-under par, thanks mainly to an eagle at the par-five eighth hole, before a double bogey on the par-three 12th took her back to even, where she stayed for the remaining six holes.

Meanwhile, Laura Robinson shot a four-over 76 yesterday after being easily the best performer for Bermuda during the first two rounds.

As she has done all week, the former Wofford College golf star struggled off the tee yesterday, frequently finding herself in the trees or in deep rough which made it difficult for her to attack the pins.

Robinson was tied for 49th after the second round in the individual standings at plus-six, but has now slipped to 63rd out of 126 golfers.

The third member of Bermuda?s team Katyna Rabain endured another difficult day, with her swing problems continuing during a round of 92 ? the second time she has shot 20-over par in the tournament.

Hosts South Africa continue to lead the tournament on 14-under, some four shots up on Sweden and five on Germany.

?Ebonie had a very good round today and we?re in a position where we feel we can finish in the top half of the field,? said Robinson yesterday evening, shortly before turning in for an early night ahead of the crucial final round.

?Where we are right now there are one or two teams in front of us who are only three or four shots up, which in team golf really isn?t very much. So if we can string a couple of good rounds together tomorrow I think we?ve got a good chance of getting in the top half.

?That?s all we could have hoped for really. The standard of golf here is incredibly high and to finish anywhere in the 20s given what we?re up against would be good.?

Asked how her own game was standing up, Robinson admitted the narrow fairways, particularly at the De Zalze course, were presenting her with some problems.

?I?ve been scrambling for all three days really,? said the 2005 local amateur strokeplay champion.

?I?ve putted really well and my short game has been working well also. If it hadn?t, then I would have been in big trouble because I?ve been finding it hard to hit the fairways.

?If you?re somebody who is straight off the tee then you can do very well on these courses. But that?s never been one of my strengths and luckily I?ve been able to get up and down pretty well this week.?