Golf-Ochoa, Kerr share early clubhouse lead at U.S. Women’s Open (Reuters)
July 9, 2009
By Larry Fine
BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania, July 9 (Reuters) – World number oneLorena Ochoa and 2007 champion Cristie Kerr shared the clubhouselead on Thursday early in the first round of the U.S. Women’sOpen golf championship at Saucon Valley Country Club.
Ochoa rolled in a zigzag, 50-foot birdie putt at her 11thhole, the 435-yard second at the 6,740-yard Old Course, anddropped in a 15-foot downhill putt on the next to lift her totwo-under-par which is how she finished after a 69.
Kerr made a great up-and-down at the 13th to save par fromdeep greenside rough and then birdied the 16th to also move totwo-under and finished with a share of the lead.
American Jean Reynolds, a 24-year-old player on the U.S.Futures Tour, reached three-under with a birdie at 14 beforebogeying the next to join compatriot Kerr and Mexico’s Ochoa on69.
Among the afternoon starters, Choi Na-yeon of South Koreabirdied her first three holes to reach three under par.
Sub-par scores were at a premium on the tree-lined parklandcourse that featured slick, sloping greens and devilish pins.
Of the 78 early starters, Park Hee-young of South Korea wasthe only other player to break par. The 22-year-old also reachedthree under before a double-bogey at the par-three 17th forcedher to settle for a one-under 70.
Yani Tseng, the 2008 LPGA Championship winner, soared to a77, Australian Katherine Hull and American Angela Stafford shot78s, and Yi Eun-jung, last week’s tournament winner, posted 80.
“Every single pin today, with the exception of maybe one ortwo, is near a slope or on a slope,” said Kerr. “Not unfairly,but you have to really pay attention to what’s going on.”
Ochoa, who has 26 LPGA Tour titles but only two majors,showed great touch on the greens.
“You know, this course is a lot about feel,” she said. “Someof them you’re going to need to die them in and just play highand soft. I like that, you have to have good imagination.”
Ochoa said her 50-foot birdie was not the longest she hadever sunk but it might have been her most circuitous.
“It first went left and went right, it went up and then wentleft and went right,” she said with a laugh. “It was like a goodsurprise, and made me smile.”
(Editing by Ken Ferris; to query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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