Familiar territory for Sorenstam
Annika Sorenstam put herself in a familiar position at Eagle's Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, Ga. -- one shot off the lead after the opening round.
The rest of the field can only hope she doesn't do a repeat over the next three days.
Maria Hjorth and Cristie Kerr shot 7-under-par 65s yesterday to share the lead at the Florida's Natural Charity Championship, but Sorenstam was right in the thick of things with a 66 and was eager to duplicate last year's performance. Sorenstam won the 2005 event in a 10-stroke runaway, positioning herself one shot off the lead after Day 1, and taking control with a second-round 64.
This time, she started erratically with three bogeys on her scorecard. But she nearly holed out a 4-wood from the fairway at the par-5 sixth hole, the ball stopping inches short of the flagstick for a tap-in eagle.
''I told my caddie, 'A few more rolls and it would have been a 2,' " said Sorenstam, who also won this event in 2001. ''I have never had a double eagle. That would have made my day, for sure."
PGA -- Stuart Appleby shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Jerry Smith and D.A. Points after the first round of the Shell Houston Open in Humble, Texas.
Appleby teed off early and took advantage of calm conditions on the Redstone Golf Club's Tournament Course, the event's third venue in four years.
Appleby, the 1999 winner at the TPC at The Woodlands, made a 25-foot birdie putt on the sixth and another on No. 11. The Australian bogeyed the 13th, chipped in on No. 17, and made a downhill 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th.
Aaron Baddeley, the
Darren Clarke shot a 68, then withdrew and flew home to England to be with his cancer-stricken wife, Heather.
Asian -- Henrik Stenson shot a 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Asian Open in Shanghai. Stephen Gallacher of Scotland and Jean Van de Velde were tied for second at 68.
Tiger Woods will take time off from the PGA Tour while his father battles cancer and the world's No. 1 player said it was possible he would not make an appearance in a golf tournament before the US Open in June.
He did not give details of his planned break, except to say he would not start playing ''for a while," and the failing health of his father, Earl, would have a major influence on his future schedule.
''It's kind of up in the air with the situation back home, so I don't know what's going to happen," said Woods, who is in New Zealand to attend the wedding of his caddie, Steve Williams.
