OCHOA, KERR, PARK AND STANFORD LEAD A TIGHT RACE AT THE HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS | Golf Digest Singapore

OCHOA, KERR, PARK AND STANFORD LEAD A TIGHT RACE AT THE HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS
26 Feb 2010

25 February, Singapore - The sun wasn't the only thing that sizzled during the first round of the HSBC Women's Champions 2010, held at Tanah Merah Country Club's Garden Course. The leaderboard was packed with the best women golfers in the world, including World No, 1 Lorena Ochoa (left).

The inaugural HSBC champ Lorena Ochoa birdied two of her last three holes to tie for the first-round lead with three others on Thursday. Ochoa, who won the Singapore-based event in 2008 by 11 strokes, overcame bogies at 12 and 14 to shoot 4-under-par 68 on the day. She is joined by 12-time Tour winner Cristie Kerr (37-31=68), who birdied five of her last six holes, Angela Stanford (34-34=68) and Hee Young Park (34-34=68).

Kerr rebounded from a 1-over-par 37 front nine with an outstanding back nine. The 2007 U.S. Women’s Open champ was 5-under-par in her final six holes including a two-putt birdie at 16 where she drove the green. The 32-year-old tied for 11th at Tanah Merah last year.

Stanford entered the week feeling uncomfortable with her swing, though her bogey-free 68 didn’t show it. She began the day with six pars before birdies at seven and nine. She added birdies at 13 and 16 to enter a tie for the four-way tie for the lead.

Park (left), who started in the first group of the day off the first tee, was the clubhouse leader early on thanks to birdies at 16 and 18. The 22-year-old tied for 31st at last year’s HSBC Women’s Champions. She tied for 11th last week at the season-opening Honda PTT LPGA Thailand.

Defending champion and reigning Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Jiyai Shin is one of 18 players under par after the first-round at the HSBC Women’s Champions. The 21-year-old shot 1-under-par 71 on Thursday, good for a tie for 15th, three shots behind the leaders. Shin (below), who won three times last season and was the first South Korean to top the season-ending LPGA Official Money List in 2009, carded three birdies and two bogies on Thursday. She is tied for 15th with three others, including 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship winner Brittany Lincicome.

With their combined 65 LPGA victories and 15 major championships, LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame members Juli Inkster and Karrie Webb know a thing or two about winning. After 18 holes at the HSBC Women’s Champions, each has put herself within striking distance of adding a Singaporean trophy to their mantel. Inkster (36-34=70) and Webb (36-34=70) are locked with five others in a tie for ninth at 2-under-par.

Several players in the field this week are on the verge of crossing million-dollar milestones this week at the HSBC Women’s Champions. First-round co-leader Angela Stanford is just over $75,000 shy of the $5 million mark in career earnings. She would be the 32nd LPGA Tour member to achieve that mark. Additionally, Natalie Gulbis is over $23,000 shy of the $4 million mark, while Stacy Prammanasudh is over $40,000 shy of the $3 million mark.

With a victory, defending champion Jiyai Shin would cross the $2 million mark in career earnings this week. That total does not include the money she won as a non-member prior to 2009.

Marquee idol Michelle Wie attracted a big crowd on Thursday, but could only come away with an even-par 72 on the Phil Jacobs-designed course. She used her driver sparingly, and looked like she was hitting a lot of punch shots to cheat the swirling wind that caused some problems in the first round.

NOTEWORTHY: Katherine Hull carded a double bogey at the third hole, but redeemed herself with an eagle at the par-5 ninth to shoot even-par 36 on the front-nine. She added two more birdies and a bogey on the back to shoot 71… Christina Kim (right) found the recipe to success this week: Mixing “HSBC” Singapore Slings at the Wednesday evening pro-am function. Kim, who alongside LPGA rookie Amanda Blumenherst served HSBC Slings (a version of the famous Singapore drink) to sponsors and tournament partners on Wednesday evening, shot 69 on Thursday… Honda PTT LPGA Thailand winner Ai Miyazato kept her name in the hat for back-to-back wins with a first-round 69.