In Saiki’s case, home is where the birdies are

Adam Candee

Friday, April 18, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

Kim Saiki left the LPGA Tour in the middle of 2001, as a viral inner-ear infection caused vertigo symptoms and forced her to skip half the season.

The time off may not have been a bad thing -- the Las Vegas resident had just two top-10 finishes in the previous two years, and she spent part of the downtime adjusting her swing with instructor Greg LaBelle at the Butch Harmon Golf School.

Eighteen months later, Saiki found herself signing autographs for friends and accepting a warm hug from her father Thursday morning, after serving notice that she is again ready to contend for her first title.

Saiki fired a bogey-free, 5-under 67 in the windswept LPGA Takefuji Classic opening round at Las Vegas Country Club, putting her in a four-way tie for third place behind co-leaders Laura Diaz and Catriona Matthew, who overcame more forceful afternoon wind gusts to put up 66s.

"The players that had morning tee times were a little lucky compared to the afternoon," said defending champion Annika Sorenstam, who never got going en route to an even-par 72.

A 37-year-old who lives in Summerlin, Saiki teed off at 7:40 a.m. and birdied three of the first four holes, then expertly scrambled through the final nine holes despite a swirling wind that picked up during her round. She saved a birdie at No. 6 after her tee shot kicked into the trees, and sank a medium-length putt from the fringe for another birdie at No. 8.

"It's all about rhythm and tempo," Saiki said. "When you're feeling it, you're feeling it."

Saiki has only played the LVCC course three or four times in her six years in the Valley. Being at home for the three-day tournament forces her to maintain deeper concentration.

"To me, I treat it as just any other week," Saiki said. "It's tough because when I am home, I'm very relaxed, so I have to have a different mind set this week because I am at home. But I feel good, I feel confident."

Having surpassed $1 million in career earnings in 2002, Saiki hopes to validate her career with a notch in the win column to join her four career second-place finishes. She has started slow this season with just $13,620 earned in her first four tournaments, but she feels a breakthrough began Thursday.

"I haven't really been feeling comfortable over the ball the last couple weeks," Saiki said. "Today, I was totally comfortable. The wind didn't even affect me. I was putting well, I was doing everything well."

The wind certainly toyed with the rest of the field, constantly changing direction and strength and forcing many players to step away from shots multiple times to rethink strategy.

"The conditions were tough out there today," said Emilee Klein, one of three players tied with Saiki at 5-under. "It was gusting, it was blowing ... it was hard to figure out which direction it was coming from."

Klein, Cristie Kerr and Candie Kung -- who double-bogeyed No. 18 to give away the sole lead at 7-under -- joined Saiki in third place.

Diaz and Matthew both had improbable eagles. Diaz rolled in a 45-foot putt at the par-5 9th hole, and turned the momentum into birdies at the next two holes to charge into the lead.

"It was a little squirrelly and hit a few bumps, and then it went in," Diaz said of her eagle.

Diaz three-putted to bogey the par-4 17th, but quickly recovered with a gorgeous wedge to within a foot at the finishing hole, which she converted into a birdie.

"I was able to birdie 18 and finish with a smile on my face," she said.

Matthew went out in 35 on the back nine -- including a 4-foot eagle putt at No. 10 after what she called a "rescue 3-wood" second shot -- then began her second nine with a 15-foot birdie chip after sailing her 9-iron approach past the green.

"It kind of really just got me going," Matthew said of the birdie.

A 33-year-old from Scotland, Matthew went on to record four more birdies for the low nine-hole score of the day at 31.

Kelli Kuehne had joined the third-place group with a late birdie, but dropped into seventh with a double bogey at No. 7. She began today 4-under. It's tough because when I am home, I'm very relaxed, so I have to have a different mind set this week because I am at home. But I feel good, I feel confident."