SYLVANIA, Ohio — Paula Creamer birdied nine of the last 11 holes, including the final three, for a course-record 60 on the par-71 Highland Meadows layout Thursday for a five-stroke lead after the opening round of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
Only after she finished did she realize how close she came to golf’s magic number of 59.
“I didn’t know it was a par 71,” Creamer said with a laugh. “I thought it was a par 72. If I would have known that, who knows?”
Creamer couldn’t have done much better. She would have had to hole out a 137-yard 7-iron from the fairway to shoot 59. She rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt for her 60 — her best round on tour by four strokes.
“We were all standing on the green and Kimmie (Mi Hyun Kim) was looking at me: ‘Wow, that was unbelievable,’ ” Creamer said. “(I thought) what did we shoot here? Sixty? I didn’t know. I didn’t realize it.”
The 21-year-old Creamer’s round was her best by six strokes this season and broke Se Ri Pak’s course mark by a shot. She matched the tour record of raw score for nine holes with a 27 on the home half.
Eun-Hee Ji and Gloria Park each shot a 65, while Eva Dahllof and Young Kim had 66s. Defending champion Pak, trying to become the first player to win the same LPGA tournament six times, shot a 68. Michelle Wie had a 70.
Twenty-one players had yet to finish when play was suspended late in the day by lightning and heavy rain. They will complete their rounds today before the second round begins.
Annika Sorenstam set the LPGA Tour mark with a 59 in the second round of the 2001 Standard Register PING on a par-72 course.
Perry continues strong run
SILVIS, Ill. — Kenny Perry continued his best run in more than two decades on the PGA Tour, firing a 6-under 65 in the first round of the John Deere Classic that put him one stroke off the lead.
Perry, 47, is behind Ken Duke and Charlie Wi in a tie for third after winning two events last month. Woody Austin was in a group at 5-under, with 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson five strokes behind the leaders.
“I just feel very comfortable here,” Perry said. “It’s kind of in my element here, in my wheelhouse.”
Mickelson, Els off to slow start in Scottish Open
LUSS, Scotland — Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els failed to break par in the first round of the Scottish Open, while Alexander Noren and Thongchai Jaidee shared the lead with 7-under 64s.
Angel Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open champion, was third with a 65 in this tuneup before the British Open at Royal Birkdale that begins next Thursday. Mickelson had a 71 and Els was at 1-over 72. The Associated Press
