Redman in hunt for first career title

After 15 long years on tour, Susie Redman would like nothing better than to win an LPGA tournament.

On the other hand, she wouldn't give up what she has.

Chasing her first career victory, Redman shot a 5-under-par 67 to take the lead after today's opening round of the New Albany Golf Classic.

"I always looked at it that I was never going to choose between motherhood and playing professional golf,'' said Redman, who has three sons. "I say that I'm already a winner. I can do both.''

Her best and worst years were rolled into one.

She came closest to winning in the 1995 Nabisco Dinah Shore, finishing second, and had made 10 of 13 cuts that year and earned more than $130,000. Just a few days after the Nabisco it was discovered that the youngest of her three sons, 4-month-old Bo, had neuroblastoma, a childhood form of cancer. She took off the remainder of the year to attend to her son.

"I felt like that year I was just on the brink of being ready. By far, that's the best start I had ever had in my career,'' she said.

His cancer is in remission and he is now a healthy 6-year-old back home in Orlando, Fla.

Her best finish since his illness was a tie for third place in the 1997 Oldsmobile Classic. (Click here to check out Susie Redman's career stats.)

"When you ask me that question -- do I think I'd have won -- I think that having my children and sharing my testimony with a lot of families or people I don't know, that seems more important to me,'' she said. "I mean, winning would be like icing on the cake.''

Redman jump-started her round with an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole, reaching the green in two shots and then rolling in a 21-foot uphill right-to-left putt.

The 34-year-old player's only misstep was a three-putt bogey on the 17th hole. She also had four birdies, including three on putts of 15 feet or longer with a new putter she pulled out of her collection earlier this week.

Redman is striving to make the field for the AFLAC Champions next month in her hometown of Mobile, Ala. The tournament includes all tour winners over the last three years.

Mi Hyun Kim, Wendy Ward, Mardi Lunn, and Dina Ammacapane opened with 68s, and defending champion Annika Sorenstam three-putted for bogey on the 16th hole and finished with a 69. Karrie Webb, seeking her seventh win of the year, struggled to a 76.

Kim, who won the Safeway last week, was tied for the lead until bogeying the closing hole, barely sliding a 6-foot par putt past the cup.

"It was disappointing,'' the Korean said through an interpreter. "But I still have three days left.''

Ward pieced together a four-birdie, no-bogey round, while Lunn's 68 featured a 90-foot eagle putt at No. 6. Lunn shot three rounds in the 60s in finishing second to Sorenstam a year ago, but had only three more in the year leading up to this year's tournament.

"It's just nice to get on a golf course where you've played well and putted well,'' Lunn said. "You sort of feel comfortable.''

Ammacapane had the most excitement. As if it weren't enough to post nine birdies and two bogeys, she also was rattled by volunteer's comment that led to a triple-bogey at the par-3 14th.

As she was waiting to tee off, a volunteer asked if pro Danielle Ammacapane was her sister. When she said yes, the volunteer added, "She hit it in the water here.''

With that swing thought, Dina then proceeded to hit her 9-iron into the water off the tee. Still rattled, she three-putted the next hole for a bogey but then rebounded to birdie eight of her final 11 holes.

"On 16, I almost holed out for a 3 and I tapped in for a birdie,'' Ammacapane said. "When we got to the next tee, I looked at my group and said, 'Do you think Danielle hit it that close?' "

Sorenstam was tracking down Redman and was just a shot off the lead as she came to the par-5 16th hole. She missed a 28-foot birdie putt that would have given her a share of the lead - and then missed the 4-footer coming back for par.

"I was really never in trouble,'' said Sorenstam, who has won five tournaments this year. "I left a putt on 16 and then I had probably a 6-footer on 17 for birdie. If I had made those two, I would be really smiling.''

Sorenstam was joined by Karen Pearce, Heather Bowie, Kelli Kuehne and Carin Koch at 3-under 69.

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