Kuala Lumpur: It was a fiery hot day at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club today and the expectant crowd that made their way for the opening round of the 2011 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia were not to be disappointed.
Four players – Brittany Lang, Maria Hjorth, Na Yeon Choi and Dewi Claire Schreefel – stormed into an early one-stroke joint lead, finishing the day on five-under 66 in perfect scoring conditions at the East Course. Spain’s Azahara Munoz and American Paige Mackenzie were a further shot adrift with rounds of 67 with another six golfers including crowd favourite Michelle Wie on 68.
World number one Yani Tseng, who is gunning for a seventh LPGA title of the season, rounded up with a score of two-under at 69, in joint 13th position alongside defending champion Jimin Kang of Korea.
The four-strong Malaysian ladies in the field found the going tough with local qualifier winner Aretha Pan leading the home challenge with a round of four-over 75 with fellow compatriots Jean Chua, Ainil Johani and Kelly Tan close behind with scores of 76, 76, and 77 respectively.
First off the tee in the morning however was the 21-year-old Lang, who used it to her advantage to set the early clubhouse lead, mixing six birdies against a sole bogey for a near-perfect start to her campaign.
“I played really well and got off to a good start. I birdied hole 3 to get 1-under from there sailed in. I’ve been hitting the ball great for three, four, five months now. It just felt effortless today. I’ve had more energy, I’ve had more fun, and I’m playing better,” said Lang, who is coming into a bit of form late into the season.
“It helped to be among the first out this morning, because you get to play nine holes without any waiting. It’s nice to just get to go and get some fresh greens because with the Bermuda greens, you can get a lot of spike marks and get chewed up, so that was really helpful.”
It wasn’t long before former Futures Tour player and LPGA Tour rookie Schreefel inched her way alongside Lang. The 26 year-old of Dutch-Indonesian descent looked one of the more comfortable players in the hot condition, draining two of her six birdies birdies in her final five holes to move into the joint lead.
Despite being playing for the first time in the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, Schreefel is no rookie to playing in Malaysia, having competed in the World Amateur Team Golf Championship for the Espirito Santo trophy at Saujana Golf & Country Club, back in 2002.
“I started on the back nine and got off to a solid star with three birdies on that nine. I hit the ball pretty pure today and made a lot of good putts. The conditions are really good. The green rolls really true. The key is to just pick your spots on the fairways. All I can do is play my game and see what tomorrow brings,” said a clearly delighted Schreefel.
Hjorth, who co-led the tournament going into the final round last year, put on a battling display, securing consecutive birdies on holes 4, 5 and 6 before making the turn on -5. Two further birdies in the back nine put her in the sole lead before she dropped a bogey on the closing hole.
Na, who arrived at the tournament on the back of a successful run at the LPGA Hana Bank Championsip in her home country last week, was much delighted with her return of form. “Yeah, I think it’s been a good run. I played well in the last two months and I finished in contention almost every week, so I feel great about my game. Especially today, I hit the ball very well with my long putts, so that’s why I hit a low score.Every year in the beginning of the season, I play so-so and then get better and better,” said the world number four.
Ladies European Tour member and sponsor invite Melissa Reid certainly had a day to remember, recording a hole in one on the par-three 5th.
On the domestic front, the occasion once again got to local representatives, who failed to assert themselves in favourable condition. Pan, who had started on the ninth, made the turn with three bogeys but drained two birdies on the front nine to regain her confidence. A bogey on the 8th and a badly miscalculated approach on her final hole for a double bogey proved her undoing.
“Today, I would like to say I got lucky. I hit a few bad shots but still went to the hole and I managed to hole two. On the 18th, I pushed my drive to the right and 5‑iron approach was misjudged to the right and landed in the pond. I took a drop and hit it to within ten feet off the pin but I missed my bogey putt.”
Making her debut at the US$1.9 million tournament, the 21-year-old Ainil proved a bundle of nerves as she toured the course for a opening 76. Her only birdie of the day came in at the par-three 15th.
“I didn’t start well I was really nervous, but by the end it was ok. My iron shot wasn’t good, my driving was bit off but I managed to recover.My up and down was superb, I need to focus on the positives of my game. There is still three days left, a lot can happen in that time.
“I will look back and see what I did wrong today and hope to improve. I will practice my putting as I didn’t manage to get the speed right today so I will practise this afternoon before getting a good rest ahead of tomorrow’s tee off,” she added.
Tan, the best placed Malaysian in the tournament last year, had a mixed start to tournament. Two bogeys on her opening holes left the 18-year-old with some catching up to do and she responded with the first of her two birdies on the 4th.
But she got into trouble again on the par three seventh, twice taking a drink before settling for seven. She composed herself with an immediate birdie on the 8th but had another bogey on the tenth to stay 11 strokes off the leaders.
“Actually I felt really great with how I hit it the ball today despite the poor 7th and tenth. I will just be more careful on the two holes I didn’t play well today. Other than that I played really well so won’t change my game much from today,” said the optimistic Tan.
Leading first round scores
66 Maria Hjorth (Sweden), Brittany Lang (USA), Dewi Claire Schreefel (Holland), Choi Na Yeon (South Korea)
67 Paige Mackenzie (USA), Azahara Munoz (Spain)
68 Christel Boeljon (Holland), Feng Shanshan (China), Kim I. K (South Korea), Stacy Lewis (USA), Suzaan Pettersen (Norway), Michelle Wie (USA)
69 Katie Futcher (USA), Mindy Kim (USA), Amy Yang (South Korea), Sophie Gustafson (Sweden), Jimin Kang (South Korea), Yani Tseng (Taiwan)
