 February 25 - I don't know if it is because of El Nino, or the figure-hugging outfits the ladies of the HSBC Women's Champions had on yesterday, but it was HOT at Tanah Merah Country Club at the first round of the tournament. Forget saunas, if you were looking for a good sweat and some heat on your bones, just slather on some sun block and come watch the ladies play.
The Garden course proved once again that it is Singapore's premier course. The greens were emerald, in spite of the lack of rain in recent days, and in Ochoa's words, "they rolled very true". Coming from the world's best woman golfer, that ain't too bad. Pin positions were in rather accessible locations, which helped with the scoring. Eighteen players were under par (out of the 63), with four players, including Ochoa, sharing top spot.
American stalwarts Cristie Kerr (above) and Angela Stanford proved that they shouldn't be neglected given the current wave of Asians storming the LPGA tour. They are huddled together with the affable Ochoa, who recently got married to the CEO of Mexico's  national airline, at 4-under. Korea's Park Hee Young (right) forms the leading foursome with steady play and sharp putting to go along with the fashionable shorts that she is known for.
Unfortunately for the crowds following Michelle Wie, the lanky Hawaiian wasn't among the players under par. That didn't detract from her fans, though, as they braved heatstroke to follow their long-hitting heroine through the hottest part of the day. Wie used her 3-wood frequently, and seemed to hit many punch shots with her iron to negotiate the tricky Garden course.
Even though many golfers seem to think that the professional women's game much replicates that of an average male golfer, I refute that claim - they're much better, and longer. I got the opportunity to play with Sweden's Maria Hjorth in the Pro Am, which was an eyebrow raising experience. Now, I'm far from being a long hitter (funny thing about golf, as age goes up, speed and distance goes down) but Hjorth consistently hit past my longest, straightest drive...with her 3-wood.
 Not ony are these ladies long, they are straight. I was with Park Hee Young and Christina Kim (left) when they teed it up on the short, par-4 16th. The hole plays to 269m this week, and both Park and Christina went for it. Their balls sailed high and straight into the mid-day sun, lost in the glare. Walking up to the green, I saw two balls within 20 feet of the hole. How good is that?
The high class play in the first round wasn't the only thing that was compelling. Today's LPGA stars mix  fashionable style with their stylish swings. Lorena sported a bold fuchsia Lacoste polo, Park had on a nice sleeveless yellow top with black shorts that highlighted her athletic build, and Kim paraded a psychedelic ensemble piqued by a bright green cap turned the other way (her trademark, it seems). Michelle Wie (right) was pretty in pink, and a simple black pair of shorts. But then, she probably looks good in anything.
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