Gladstone, N.J. – Annika Sorenstam needed a little time to close out Joanne Morley – and adjust to Hamilton Farm’s soggy greens.
Coming off a disappointing finish in the U.S. Women’s Open on Cherry Hills’ speedy greens, Sorenstam overcame an early deficit to beat Morley 2 and 1 on Thursday in the first round of the HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship.
“I had a little difficulty with the speed of the greens,” Sorenstam said. “I thought they were quite slow after the rain yesterday. … Coming from really fast greens to really slow was tough. They are in good shape. I just got to hit the putts a lot harder.”
After Morley birdied the par-3 seventh to take a one-hole lead, Sorenstam squared the match with a birdie on the par-4 eighth.
Sorenstam pulled ahead with a two-putt par on the par-4 13th, increased her margin to two holes with a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th and parred the 16th and 17th to end the match.
“She made some great shots,” said Sorenstam, who teamed with Morley on Europe’s 1996 Solheim Cup team. “Match play is so different. In match play, you only have 18 holes, and sometimes not that many.”
The Swedish star will face 32nd-seeded Tina Barrett – a 5-and-3 winner over Young Kim – in the second round. The tournament will then turn into an endurance test in the sweltering conditions, with the third round and quarterfinals set for Saturday and the semifinals and final Sunday on Hamilton Farm’s hilly Highlands Course.
“It was hot, very steamy,” Sorenstam said.
Sorenstam has six victories – including major wins in the Nabisco and LPGA Championship – in nine starts this year to push her LPGA Tour total to 62. Last week at Cherry Hills Village, she finished over par in a 72-hole event for the first time in four years, tying for 23rd at 12-over – nine strokes behind winner Birdie Kim.
“I think it’s a lot of fun to come here, especially after the Open,” Sorenstam said. “It’s a totally different mind-set.”
Second-seeded Cristie Kerr also advanced, beating Lindsey Wright 2 and 1. Kerr, the Michelob Ultra Open winner early last month, will face Liselotte Neumann today. Neumann beat Moira Dunn 4 and 3.
“I played very well,” Kerr said. “I made six birdies. She played very, very well to kind of stay in it. … You have to play well to win.”
Third-seeded Lorena Ochoa dropped out, falling 2 and 1 to No. 62 Laurie Rinker.
“I just didn’t make any putts,” Ochoa said. “It’s all about making putts.”
Fifth-seeded Natalie Gulbis and sixth-seeded Birdie Kim also were eliminated, with each falling 1-up on the par-4 18th hole after their opponents hit approach shots within short birdie range.
Sophie Gustafson holed a 2-footer to beat Kim, and Marisa Baena knocked out Gulbis with a 3-foot putt. Fourth-seeded Paula Creamer beat Maria Hjorth 4 and 3 to set up a second-round match against Karrie Webb, who beat Soo-Yun Kang 3 and 2.
