Pittsford, NY (Sports Network) - World No. 1 Yani Tseng posted a six-under 66
on Thursday to take the lead during the suspended first round of the LPGA
Championship, the second major of the season.
Reigning U.S. Women's Open champion Paula Creamer is alone in second place at
five-under 67.
Dangerous weather rolled through Locust Hill Country Club Thursday afternoon.
Play was suspended for over two hours, and they played until it was dark, but
not every group was able to finish.
Six players will be back Friday morning at 7:15 a.m. (et) to polish off the
round.
Angela Stanford, Diana D'Alessio, Stacy Prammanasudh and Meena Lee are tied
for third place at four-under 68.
Defending champion Cristie Kerr, who won by a whopping 12 shots last year,
shot an even-par 72.
They are all chasing the woman they are chasing in the rankings as well.
Tseng, the 2008 LPGA Champion, started well with birdies at the second and
third holes. Two holes later, at the par-three fifth, Tseng hit her tee ball
to six feet and converted the birdie putt.
At the next par three, the seventh, Tseng once again hit a great iron, this
time to eight feet. She ran home the birdie putt to get to five- under par.
After her front-nine 30, Tseng came up just short of the green in two at the
par-five 11th. She nearly holed her chip, but settled for a sixth birdie of
the round.
Tseng found her first bit of trouble at the par-four 13th. She drove into the
right rough by a tree, but did well to get the ball near the putting surface.
Tseng couldn't save par, but was still in front at five-under par.
Tseng continued her amazing form on Locust Hill's par threes at No. 15. She
stiffed her approach to six feet and drained the birdie putt to get back to
minus-six.
She didn't stay there long.
Tseng suffered another hiccup, this time at 16. She left herself 15 feet for
par, and her putt stayed above ground. The bogey dropped her back to five-
under par, but Tseng had one more piece of magic left in her round.
Even though she drove into the rough at the par-four closing hole, Tseng hit
an amazing approach that spun back to three feet. Tseng made the birdie putt
and walked off with the first-round lead.
"I putted really well," said Tseng. "I was very consistent today. I'm going to
still try and hit the fairway and be patient."
Tseng has already captured this title and won both the Kraft Nabisco
Championship and Women's British Open last year. She had a great chance to win
another major earlier this year at the Nabisco, but Stacy Lewis outplayed her
on Sunday.
"It's not a big deal. I still have a long way to go," Tseng said. "I have lots
of majors to play."
She has momentum on her side as well with a win two weeks ago at the State
Farm Classic, but maybe watching an old amateur colleague over the weekend
inspired her more.
During her amateur days, she was in the Nick Faldo series with U.S. Open
runaway winner Rory McIlroy.
"Yeah, Rory was there," said Tseng. "I wish I could've spoke better English
and I could talk with him more."
Lewis, Jennifer Johnson, Minea Blomqvist, Amy Hung, Morgan Pressel, Hee Young
Park and Ryan O'Toole are knotted in seventh place at three-under 69.
NOTES: Michelle Wie is also at even-par 72...World No. 4 Jiyai Shin struggled
to a three-over 75 on Thursday.
The Sports Network