Brooky shares lead at Evian Masters
IN: News | LPGA | Evian Masters (2005) | Round One | 21 Jul 2005
Lynnette Brooky from New Zealand, Carin Koch from Sweden and Marissa Baena from Columbia are tied for the lead after the first round this week's US$2.5million Evian Masters.
Each fired a three under par 66, to finish two shots clear of Becky Brewerton, from Wales, as well as Christina Kim and Paula Creamer from the USA, at four under par (68).
England's Laura Davies, Kirsty Taylor, Maria Hjorth from Sweden and Beth Daniel from the USA carded three under par 69s.
While a further five players carded a 70, including Italy's Sophie Sandolo and Sweden's Sophie Gustafson.
World number one Annika Sorenstam started her campaign with a level par 72, while Michelle Wie recorded a three over par 75.
Brooky, who equalled her opening 66 in the tournament last year, admitted that the lengthening of the course by 56 metres had contributed to tougher scoring conditions.
"It is quite hard playing this year because the course is a lot longer. You go to the tees and you have to throw away last year's yardage books and work on the shots," said Brooky, from Wellington, who is in her 11th year on the Robe di Kappa Ladies European Tour (LET).
"The shots I was hitting into the greens are completely different from all the previous years. If you know the greens, then that helps but there were a lot of times when I told my caddy to just give me a club because I had no idea from way back there."
The highlight of her round included her birdie at the par-3 14th, where a gold bar was on offer for a hole-in-one.
"I flushed a 5-wood and it actually looked like it was going in the hole. I said to Gerald on the practice round that if we get that gold bar I will give you a chance to bite into it and if you get a bite off you can have it. He was thinking of his teeth and I was thinking of his teeth on the flight because in the air it looked like it was going in. It was only a yard and half short."
Koch, from Kungalv, had an error-free 66 with no putt longer than 20 feet on the card.
Hers was the near perfect finish, with birdies on both holes 17 and 18: "I have not done that too many times here. I have always had trouble with the last few holes, co it is nice to have that strong finish," said the three-time Solheim Cup star.
Following a mini tornado on Monday, she admitted that the course was playing tougher than usual: "The rough here is quite tough and these greens you need to be in the fairway. You miss a few shots and you get in trouble.
"Also the greens are really hard to read. You hit a lot of good putts here that you think you hit good, and they are just not right. The greens are a little bit slower after the storm too, so the uphill putts you really have to hit them. I think that has always been the key here."
Baena, the 28-year-old from Columbia, who won the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship on the LPGA circuit two weeks ago, had another faultless round with six birdies.
"It was very, very solid round. My first three birdies were about five feet, the putt, and then about six feet and about three birdies were two footers. I didn't make any long putts. I only missed one green, which I got up and down," she said.
Sorenstam, who has won the Evian Masters twice, in 2000 and 2002, had a mixed bag with four birdies, two bogeys and a double, where she hit her tee shot out of bounds.
"I am very, very disappointed. I made zero putts whatsoever. It was just one of those days," she said.
Reflecting on Monday's storm, she added: "The greens are very bumpy. I think the hail unfortunately made them very bumpy, but then on the other hand I think the superintendent and his crew did an excellent job. I really don't know how we can be playing after the storm we had. Having said that I think they have done a good job."
The 15-year-old Wie, who headlines the event with Sorenstam, was only slightly dismayed with her start to the tournament.
"Its not like I played really bad today, it's just that I was a foot from being perfect every time. I mean, when I found the rough, I'd go into the really thick part, like the weed. I just had bad breaks everywhere," she said.
Source - LET
