Wind-blown start leaves Ochoa four behind Park at LPGA SemGroup

5/2/2008

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (AP) -- Lorena Ochoa felt helpless as too many shots ballooned into relentless gusts that reached 36 mph Thursday, sending her to only her second round over par this year

Stranger still was listening to her describe a 2-over 73 at the SemGroup Championship.

On a wind-blown day that yielded no more than five scores under par, Ochoa took some measure of satisfaction by not letting the leaders get too far away in her quest for a record-tying fifth consecutive victory on the LPGA Tour.

Hee Young Park held it together in Oklahoma's notorious wind with a 2-under 69, and Beth Bader also was 2 under as she finished up a tough day for everyone at Cedar Ridge.

Two other subpar rounds came from Ochoa's group -- Paula Creamer and defending champion Mi Hyun Kim, each with 70 in rounds that looked nothing alike. One of the shorter hitters on tour, Kim hit 23 metal clubs, almost as often as she used her putter (30).

Ochoa couldn't match them.

Leaderboard – Round 1:

1. Hee Young Park        69 - 2
2. Ji Young Oh              70 - 1
    Mi Hyun Kim             70 - 1
    Paula Creamer          70 - 1
5. Vicky Hurst                71   E
    Ai Miyazato               71   E
    Leta Lindley              71   E
8. Brittany Lang             72 +1
    Juli Inkster                72 +1
    Carin Koch                72 +1
    Cristie Kerr                72 +1
    Nancy Scraton            72 +1
    Beth Bader                72 +1

Source: AP, LPGA