Pettersen Takes Early Lead At North Texas LPGA Shootout

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Thanks to a stretch that featured three birdies in four holes, Norway’s Suzann Pettersen took a one-shot lead after the first round of the North Texas LPGA Shootout on Thursday.

Pettersen shot a 5-under-par 66 at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas. A six-way tie for second place at 67 includes Michelle Wie, who won an LPGA event in her home state of Hawaii two weeks ago. Also at 67 are Americans Dori Carter and Cristie Kerr, Cyndey Clanton and Christina Kim as well as Germany’s Caroline Masson.

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Thailand’s P.K. Kongkraphan and China’s Xi Yu Lin are tied for eighth place at 68.

Pettersen, 33, returned to action last week after missing a month due to a back injury.

“I feel good,” she said. “I gotta kind of pace myself a little bit. I can’t do too much early in the week, so I

have a lot of spare time to fool around with.

“Just playing good. Hitting the ball great. Today I was actually feeling a little bit tense to start, which is a good sign.”

Pettersen began her bogey-free round on the back nine. She parred her first six holes before making birdies on the par-4 16th, par-5 18th and par-4 first holes. She added birdies at Nos. 7 and 8.

Pettersen finished in the top 30 in each of her five events this season, including a tie for 28th last week in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Daly City, Calif.

“Last week was nice to be back,” she said. “It’s always tough when you come back from something like that when you’re so out of play. You’re not even close to be playing. And then next thing you know the pain is gone and you can start hitting balls, and to bring back the mentality straight away.”

Last year, Pettersen claimed four of her 14 LPGA tournament titles, and she finished second on the tour’s money list.

Wie’s round featured far more ups and downs than Pettersen’s. Wie recorded four birdies, two bogeys and an eagle on the par-5 10th hole.

“I think any under-par round on this golf course is great, and it’s nice that I made the putt on the last hole,” Wie said. “I’m real excited for the next three days.”

Kerr also recorded an eagle, on the par-5 third hole. She added three birdies and a bogey.

Clanton, who qualified for the LPGA Tour last fall, made the cut in a tour event for the first time this year when she finished tied for 59th last week. Her 67 on Thursday marked the first time she broke 70 in a round this season.

“All year, I’ve been really close,” Clanton said. “Things have been good, and other things have been bad. It was just I needed everything to click together, and today it seemed to do it.

“I made a few errors out there, but I bounced back with two birdies. I made a lot of really good putts today and hit some really close shots today, so today overall was a great day.

 

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