Logjam at Women’s Open
The U.S. Women’s Open has given Annika Sorenstam fits the last 10 years.
On Friday, it gave her reason to believe her fortunes were changing.
The soupy fog that delayed the first round one day gave her time to finish fine-tuning her game, and she came out firing. The one time she found casual water on a course filled with puddles, it allowed her to clean mud off her ball for a long, uphill approach to the ninth hole, the toughest at Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I. She walked off with the only birdie.
When the Swede completed her 2-under-par 69, she was in a four-way tie for the lead with Se Ri Pak, Pat Hurst, and 19-year-old amateur Jane Park.
“It’s a great start, and hopefully I can continue this,” Sorenstam said. “I feel like I’ve come a long ways the last few days, and today I really showed that. So it was good.”
How good?
Sorenstam was the only player to break par among late starters who faced blustery conditions on a sunny afternoon along the shores of the Atlantic. It was the first time she broke 70 in the first round of the Women’s Open since she won it in 1995. With a 36-hole Sunday looming, Sorenstam figures her fitness will give her an advantage.
Michelle Wie had few complaints with her round that was a good fit for the toughest test in women’s golf. The 16-year-old from Hawaii made 15 pars, only one mistake and closed out her round with a 15-foot birdie putt to lead the group at 1-under 70.
The soggy conditions sure didn’t look like a U.S. Open, but the scoring left no doubt. The average score was 75.95, and 21 players failed to break 80.
Players from Washington and Idaho faired well. Kim Welch (WSU) shot 73, amateur Paige Mackenzie (UW) 74, Tracy Hanson (Rathdrum, Idaho) 75 and Wendy Ward (Edwall, Wash.) 77.
Stiles leads Buick Championship
Darron Stiles made a 10-foot birdie putt on his final hole to shake free from the crowded pack in the Buick Championship at Cromwell, Conn.
He shot his second straight 4-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead.
Peter Lonard shot 67, with 25 players within four strokes of the lead, including three who have won on the TPC at River Highlands.
Lonard followed his opening 65 with a 68, while former Hartford champions Steward Cink (65) and Notah Begay III (66) were 6 under along with Scott Verplank (69) and Todd Fischer (68).
Former champion Brent Geiberger (68), was among six at 5 under.
Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett is at 1 under.
Edwards out front in Kansas City
David Edwards shot a 9-under 63 to grab the first-round lead as par took a beating in the Greater Kansas City Golf Classic in Overland Park, Kan.
The 50-year-old Edwards did not have a bogey in his morning round on the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate course.
On the 442-yard par-4 18th, he rolled in a 60-footer for his ninth birdie and a two-stroke lead over Bob Gilder, Tom Jenkins, Des Smyth and Brad Bryant, the third-leading money winner on the Champions Tour.
Palmer won’t play Senior Open
Arnold Palmer withdrew from next week’s U.S. Senior Open because his game is not up to his standards, the second time this year he has pulled out of a senior major.
Palmer had played 25 straight times in the U.S. Senior Open, winning in 1981 at Oakland Hills.
He has not played a tournament since last October on the Champions Tour.