SOUTHPORT, England — Yani Tseng shot a 4-under par 68 in the opening round of the Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale on Thursday and is tied for the lead as she pursues her third major championship.
The rising star from Taiwan shot a bogey-free round that included a birdie and an eagle on the two finishing holes, putting her in a tie for the lead with Australian Katherine Hull.
“I played really, really solid. I hit all greens but one today and I putted pretty well,” said Tseng, who already has won the Kraft Nabisco Championship this season to go with the LPGA Championship she won in 2008.
“The last two par-fives were just like long par-fours with the wind, so I stayed relaxed and tried to make birdies,” Tseng said. “It was pretty good.”
Hull was among the last players on the course and also eagled the 18th hole - in front of nearly deserted grandstands - to join Tseng at 4 under. Hull dropped a stroke at the fourth hole before rattling off three birdies in a four-hole stretch beginning at No. 7.
“I hit a drive and a hybrid onto the last green and holed from 60 feet, a great way to finish,” Hull said. “I had a long talk with my caddie last week and unearthed a secret to improve my game. I had become lazy with my routine and the improvement made all the difference.”
Anne-Lise Caudal of France took the early lead with her round of 3-under 69, and she was matched later in the day by South Korea’s Kim Lang and Sun Young Yoo, along with Brittany Lincicome of the United States.
Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 1-under 71 with four birdies and three bogeys. Stacy Prammanasudh (Conway) shot a 1-under 71 with two birdies and a bogey.
PGA
Compton shares lead
WHITE SULPHURSPRINGS, W.Va. - Erik Compton is a walking billboard for organ donation and sheer determination.
He’s also at the top of the Greenbrier Classic leaderboard.
Playing on a late sponsor exemption, the 30-year-old double heart transplant recipient shot a 7-under-par 63 Thursday to share the first round lead with rookie Matt Every in the inaugural tournament.
Compton spent eight consecutive days doing yard work at home in Miami before he got the call Saturday to play in the tournament. He’s making the most of his late invite,overcoming a slow start with nine birdies on the Old White course.
“You know, some guys miss six, seven cuts in a row and then win,” Compton said. “I know I’m a good player, and I have a lot of the adversity in front of me with the game and health. But I always feel like if I stick in there and keep trying, something eventually good is going to happen.”
George McNeill, Pat Perez and Jeff Overton opened with 64s.
John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 1-under 69 with five birdies and four bogeys. Glen Day (Little Rock) shot a 1-over 71 with two birdies and three bogeys. Brenden Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 1-over 71 with two birdies and three bogeys.
Compton was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy at age 9. The disease inflames the heart and leaves it unable to pump as hard as it needs to. His first transplant came three years later and another occurred in 2008.
He didn’t think he’d play golf again and even sold his equipment after the second transplant. But his health improved quickly and he returned to the game within weeks.
This season he’s made fourcuts in seven starts.
In the past he might have denied that his double transplants would have been a bigger deal than shooting a low score, but not now.
“It affects so many people,” Compton said.
EUROPEAN
Howell leads Irish Open
KILLARNEY, Ireland - England’s David Howell shot a 7-under-par 64 to take the first-round lead at the Irish Open. Howell had a one-shot lead over Australia’s Richard Green and Ireland’s Damien McGrane.
NATIONWIDE
Jam at the top
OMAHA, Neb. - Steven Bowditch and Kyle Thompson each shot an 8-under-par 63 for a one-stroke lead over Scott Gardiner (Farmington), Kevin Chappell and Matt Marshall in the Cox Classic.
Gardiner made an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys.
Ron Whittaker (Little Rock) shot a 3-under 68 with three birdies. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a 3-under 68 with an eagle, four birdies and three bogeys. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 3-under 68 with five birdies and two bogeys.
Sports, Pages 24 on 07/30/2010