Paula Creamer shared a three-way lead with Angela Park and Jane Park at the HSBC Women’s Champions yesterday, as world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa lurked dangerously two strokes behind.
On a lightening-interrupted opening day, Creamer gritted her teeth to stroke a 67 despite feeling sick and achy as she attempts to go better than her third place finish last year.
Joining her at five-under-par was fellow American Jane Park and Brazil’s Angela Park.
PHOTO: AFP
They all lie one in front of Japan’s resurgent Ai Miyazato and South Korea’s Lee Seon-hwa, who was leading by a stroke when lightening forced the players off the Tanah Merah course mid-afternoon.
It clearly rattled the world No. 10 who hit two bogeys in her final three holes on her return to scupper any chance she had of being outright leader.
Defending champion Ochoa fired a steady round of 69 to be tied for sixth with a group of four other players.
The Mexican, who won her opening event of the season last weekend in Thailand, went to the turn at one under and ground out two more birdies in the race to the clubhouse.
But it was a disappointing day for Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the world No. 2, who struggled to a 72 to be five adrift of the leaders.
“For some reason when I’m sick I tend to play a little better than I normally do,” said Creamer, who said she felt “nauseous, terrible — like chills and aching and all of that.”
“It definitely wasn’t heat ... it must have been something I ate. I haven’t been feeling well for the last couple of days,” she said.
“I’m just going straight home, probably just drinks lots of fluids. But I feel a lot better than I did in the morning,” Creamer said.
The newly engaged Ochoa was dominant last year and with her arch-rival Sorenstam now retired, she is the hot tip to win back-to-back victories here.
But she wasn’t completely happy with the way she played.
“I hit too many balls long but hopefully I can get closer and it will be a better day tomorrow,” she said. “But for sure I’m happy. I need to be a bit more aggressive and go a bit lower in my scoring.”
Jane Park, in her second full-time year of the LPGA Tour, has yet to win an event and was a surprise joint leader.
She admitted she needed to work on her concentration if she wanted to be in the mix on Sunday.
“I’m hitting the ball very well and it was a good round but I’m obviously the underdog here,” said the Californian, who had a well-decorated amateur career before turning professional in 2007.
“I just need to put together four solid rounds and stay focused, which is my biggest obstacle. My problem is that when I am not hitting the ball I start thinking of other things and I need to try and be more focused,” she said.
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