Sorenstam likes match play pace

Friday, July 1, 2005 | 10 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

Annika Sorenstam certainly is getting a big change of pace in the inaugural HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship at Gladstone, N.J.

"I think it's a lot of fun to come here, especially after the Open," Sorenstam said. "It's a totally different mind-set."

Especially on the greens.

Coming off a disappointing finish in the U.S. Women's Open on Cherry Hills' speedy putting surfaces, Sorenstam had a little trouble adjusting to Hamilton Farm's rain-slowed greens Thursday in her first-round victory against Joanne Morley.

"I thought they were quite slow after the rain yesterday," Sorenstam said. "Coming from really fast greens to really slow was tough. They are in good shape. I just got to hit the putts a lot harder."

After Morley birdied the par-3 seventh to take a one-hole lead, Sorenstam squared the match with a birdie on the par-4 eighth. Sorenstam pulled ahead with a two-putt par on the par-4 13th, increased her margin to two holes with a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th and parred the 16th and 17th to win 2 and 1.

"Match play is so different. In match play, you only have 18 holes, and sometimes not that many," said Sorenstam, who was scheduled today to play 32nd-seeded Tina Barrett, a 5 and 3 winner against Young Kim.

Second-seeded Cristie Kerr also advanced, beating Lindsey Wright 2 and 1. Kerr, the Michelob Ultra Open winner early last month, will face Liselotte Neumann on Friday. Neumann beat Moira Dunn 4 and 3.

Third-seeded Lorena Ochoa dropped out, falling 2 and 1 to No. 62 Laurie Rinker.

Fifth-seeded Natalie Gulbis and the sixth-seeded Birdie Kim also were eliminated, with each falling 1-up on the par-4 18th hole after their opponents hit approach shots within short birdie range.

Fourth-seeded Paula Creamer beat Maria Hjorth 4 and 3 to set up a second-round match Friday against slumping Australian star Karrie Webb.

Furyk made four consecutive birdies and shot a 7-under 64 on Thursday to grab a share of the first-round lead at the Western Open. Furyk, 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis and Todd Fischer were one stroke off the course record.

"I've always been real comfortable at Cog Hill," Furyk said. "It's nice when you get out of the car knowing that either I'm playing well right now and I'm playing at a course I really like, or maybe I'm not playing the greatest but I've played well here in the past. You try to feed off that a little bit."

Furyk, looking for his first victory since the 2003 Buick Open, led or shared the lead in each of hte first three rounds last week at the Barclay's Classic in Westchester, N.Y. He led eventual winner Padraig Harrington by three strokes with five holes to play.

Immelman had seven birdies and one bogey to lead fellow South African and defending champion Retief Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open winner, and Francois Delamontagne of France.