RANCHO MIRAGE: South Korea's Ahn Shi-Hyun fired a four-under 68 to take a one-shot lead over 2006 Player of the Year Lorena Ochoa Thursday in the first round of the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam, keen to add to her total of 10 major championships, left herself a lot of work with a disappointing 75.
Ochoa, who could topple Sorenstam from the No 1 world ranking by claiming the first major of her career here this week, closed her round with a birdie to narrow the gap to Ahn.
Sorenstam wasn't the only player to struggle at Mission Hills Country Club, where only nine players were under par.
Defending champion Karrie Webb was tied for third with South Korean Jee Young Lee, Sweden's Maria Hjorth and Britain's Catriona Matthew at 2-under 70. "The greens are really hard and the rough is really long," Webb said. "If you're not hitting the fairway, you're in trouble to start with.
"The greens are so hard, you just think the putt's got to be really good to get it near the pin," she added. "I was very happy with two-under."
Ochoa lost in a playoff to Webb last year, but the near miss helped propel her to a great season in which she won six times and topped the money list.
Ochoa threatened to run away from the field when she made four birdies on the front nine, but but she gave back shots at the 11th and 14th before bouncing back with a birdie from eight feet at the par-5 18th.
"I had a really good front nine and it started to remind me of last year (when she opened with a 62), Ochoa said. "Then I had the two bogeys, but I was really happy to make the putt at the last. "Last year was a tough tournament to lose, but getting better is a process, and I had a lot of wins last year which has made me more experienced and I'm feeling very comfortable."
Sorenstam was anything but comfortable Thursday as she carded three birdies but also had four bogeys and a double-bogey.
"I made a few birdies but I just didn't put it all together," Sorenstam said.
"I'm not going to be this way the rest of the week. I'm going to be positive the rest of the week."
Ahn birdied the second, eighth and ninth holes to make the turn at three-under, then picked up two more shots with birdies at 10 and 14.
Her first miscue of the day came at the 15th, where she three-putted from 30 feet for bogey. She dropped another shot at 17, but closed with a birdie at 18. (AFP) |
