 | FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD US unless stated
-2 Brittany Lang (am), Angela Stanford, Karine Icher (Fr) (after 14)
-1 Natalie Gulbis, Liselotte Neumann (Swe), Nicole Perrot (Chi), Young-A Yang (Kor), Michelle Wie (am) (after 15)
level Annika Sorenstam (Swe), M Mallon, S Gustafson (Swe), M Pressel (am), Maria Hjorth (Swe) (after 16) |
Teenage amateur Brittany Lang shared the lead at two-under on a rain hit first day at the Women's US Open, with 48 players unable to finish the round. Lang, a member of the last year's winning United States Curtis Cup team, dropped a shot at the last to card a 69, matched by Angela Stanford.
Annika Sorenstam, bidding for a third successive major this season, also finished with a bogey and is two back.
Michelle Wie had four birdies and was one under with three holes to complete.
Sorenstam appeared unusually nervous when she began from 10th tee.
"It's the US Open, there's a lot of people, a tough golf course, I had a lot on
my mind," she explained.
The Swede missed three birdie chances from inside 10 feet on her front nine, but then made some impressive saves on the way home.
Having been in sand she holed from 18 feet on the second, then having needed a four-wood for her third into the par-five fifth the found another bunker but splashed out to seven feet and sank the treacherous putt.
"I put a lot of pressure on
myself," she added.
"I really want to do well here. When you stand on
the tee, you know you have to hit fairways. That's double
pressure right there."
Lang would have led outright but her approach to the closing hole clattered into the stands behind the green and she finished with a bogey.
"It's very exciting to be in the lead but it is only the
first round," she said.
Emotional 17-year-old Morgan Pressel, who first played in the event four years ago, was the only player to reach five under, before a horrendous finish resulted in a level par 71.
Beginning from the 10th, she birdied four of her first five holes but double-bogeyed the eighth when her 11-wood finished short in the rough and the resulting chip raced through the green.
"I came here to play the best I could, and I did, then I played the worst I could," a tearful Pressel said afterwards.
Defending champion Meg Mallon arrived at Cherry Hills in
the middle of the worst run of her 19-year career, but carded a 71.
"It was just so nice and normal," the 42-year-old said.
"I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens and the driver
was definitely my most improved club in the bag."
MMIX
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