Thursday, October 11, 2012

Na Yeon, Webb lead with 65s...

VETERAN Karrie Webb of Australia and Sime Darby LPGA defending champion Choi Na Yeon of South Korea shared the first round leaderboard after a six-under 65 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club yesterday.
  However, Taiwanese amateur Min Lee, 17, was the surprise package in the three-hour rain-interrupted round after she returned a five-under 66 and is just a stroke adrift.
  She shared the second spot with Mika Miyazato of Japan, and Sun Young Yoo of South Korea.
  It was an amazing feat for Min, as she played her debut LPGA round yesterday and even the LPGA scoring site did not have a picture of her.
  "This is my first time playing in the LPGA and I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep well last night!," exclaimed the Taiwanese.
  She was shaking all over before the start, but her end score was a steady flow of seven birdies and two bigies.
  Starting from the 10th tee, she parred the first two holes, and never looked back with birdies on the 12th, 16th, 17th, first, third, sixth and seventh. Her bogies were on the fifth and eighth.
   "I was shaking, just very nervous as I could hardly sleep last night. My goal this week was just to enjoy myself and learn from Yani Seng (World No 3 and from Taiwan). I played a practice round with her and learned much. She taught me many things about golf and also the mental aspect.
  "So after I hit a five-under and finally got to grip with the situation, I felt, wow!, cool..." said the teenager.
  Webb, 37, was the least surprised to see a 17-year-old snapping at her heels.
  "I'm not surprised at all because with the coaching and technology available now, which I did not have back then, girls seem to mature into good players very fast.
  "But inside they are still girls, and when among themselves, they probably still talk about cartoons and things like that. It's amazing, and good for the sport," said the World No 19 Webb.
  Choi, world No 4, loved the pressure placed on her as the defending champion: "Coming in as the champion did add more pressure on me but I like it as it makes me more determined to prove myself out there.
  "Six under is a good score at any golf course, but I could have done better if not for some missed putts.
  "But still, I like this course and the feeling is good and I think it would continue in the remaining days," said Choi.
  World No 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan blew a seven-over 78 to be tied 66th, while World No 2 Stacey Lewis ended tied-24th when she could only manage a one-under 70.