Webb & Sorenstam tied at 5 under

Karrie Webb, seeking her fifth victory in five 2000 starts, shot a 5-under-par 67 today for a share of the first-round lead in the Standard Register PING.

The 25-year-old Australian star has won three LPGA Tour events and the Australian Women's Open during the streak. Nancy Lopez set the LPGA record of five straight victories in 1978.

Sweden's Annika Sorenstam, the winner last week in Tucson, also opened with a 67 on the Legacy Golf Resort. In their last tournament together, Webb beat Sorenstam in a playoff in the Takefuji Classic in Hawaii on March 4.

Webb, the defending champion, eagled the 459-yard, par-5 12th hole and added birdies on Nos. 13 and 16 to tie Sorenstam.

"It's so different to start a tournament," Webb said. "Today, it was quiet. When I made that eagle, no one really clapped or cheered."

When Sorenstam finished her round, Webb was 1-under after seven holes.

"Just the fact that 5-under was leading, the first couple of days you could run out of the tourney," Webb said. "You want to stay a few shots within the lead."

Webb has 19 official LPGA victories in only five seasons, including six last year when she set records with $1,591,959 in earnings and a 69.43 stroke average.

Dottie Pepper and Mi Hyun Kim opened with 68s, and Laura Davies, Denise Killeen, Carin Koch, Jane Geddes, Maria Hjorth, and Pamela Kerrigan shot 69s.

Sorenstam is confident after her victory in Tucson.

"It was very important," Sorenstam said. "I've been hitting the ball really well. But to win a tournament, you have to hit some putts. I have a lot of energy. I'm going to run until my energy runs until zero."

The victory gave the Swedish star enough points to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. She won't be inducted until 2004 when she has completed the required 10 years on the tour.

Sorenstam was 3-under after the front nine. But she said she was shaken on the ninth hole when her group was timed for slow play. If a player is deemed to be playing too slowly, she is assessed a two-stroke penalty.

"I got stressed," Sorenstam said. "It's very disturbing. You see them watching your every move. I tried to stay calm, but I don't do that very well."

Sorenstam bogeyed No. 10, but recovered to birdie four holes on the back nine.

Killeen is six months pregnant.

"I'm just making mental errors," said Killeen, who has a 2-year-old son and is expecting a girl. "I think I lost part of my mind when I had my first child. I'm going to try to play through April, which may be optimistic."

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