Bowie leads, Sorenstam withdraws

Heather Bowie shot a 6-under 66 Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Canadian Women's Open and her chances at staying in front improved when Annika Sörenstam withdrew after six holes.

Sörenstam, the LPGA Tour's top money-winner, said she was worn out by a busy schedule over the last two months and a cold that has bothered her since last week's U.S. Women's Open.

"I feel bad for the fans and the tournament, but my whole body feels ill," she said in a statement before leaving Point Grey Golf and Country Club. "I tried my best to play today and I apologize to the fans but I need to go home and get better."

Sörenstam, who has taken only one week off since playing in the Bank of America Colonial on the PGA Tour in May, teed off at 12:30 p.m. She was 1-over par through six holes, but walked off after hitting her second shot on the par-4 seventh into a greenside bunker.

"I was hoping the last couple of days with rest would have made me feel better but the last couple of months have caught up with me," Sörenstam said.

Grace Park, Jeong Jang, Pat Hurst and Juli Inkster were two shots out of the lead after shooting 68s on the narrow, tree-lined layout. Defending champion Meg Mallon and Se Ri Pak were in a group of nine at 69.

"You need to score on the par 5s," said Inkster, who birdied all three of the shorter par 5s on the 6,389-yard course.

Bowie followed Inkster's advice with an eagle and two birdies on the par 5s. The 28-year-old Texan also took advantage of a good pairing with Kelly Robbins to come within a stroke of her career-best score.

You definitely do feed off each other," said Bowie, who is enjoying her best of four seasons on the LPGA Tour. She finished 41st at the U.S. Women's Open last week, but tied for sixth at the LPGA Shoprite Classic the week before, her third top-10 finish this season.

"I don't think it's out of the blue," Bowie said. "I've kind of been right on the cusp of it and maybe it's coming together now."

Bowie started her round with a short birdie putt on the 485-yard, par-5 10th, made a "40-foot bomb" for eagle on the 455-yard third, and added another short birdie putt on the 468-yard, par-5 18th. She had three more birdies and a bogey.

"I never thought I was playing that well," Bowie said. "I was just playing how Kelly was playing. She was right there the whole time."

Robbins, who was part of the three-way playoff in U.S. Women's Open on Monday, had it to 5 under before a double bogey on the last hole dropped her three shots behind her playing partner.

"It's not the best way to end, but I'll be OK," she said.

Robbins started by holing out for eagle on No. 10 -- her first hole of the day -- and added another eagle on No. 3. Not bad considering it was her first look at the course after the hectic finish at the U.S. Women's Open.

"It was a little strange but my caddie had the numbers we needed and he knows my game well enough to just tell me where to hit it," Robbins said. "After a week like last week I'm pretty much relaxed right now and just really tried to enjoy my day and the way I'm playing. You hope that a lot of good things are still coming from last week."

Hilary Lunke, who won the U.S. Women's Open playoff over Angela Stanford and Robbins by making a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole, shot a 76 Thursday.

Sörenstam blew a chance to join that playoff with an uncharacteristic bogey on the 72nd hole. She admitted before this week's tournament started that she was still tired from the experience.

Inkster, who said she also was drained after the U.S. Women's Open, understood Sörenstam's decision to pull out of the tournament.

"She's been under the microscope and on the go and if she didn't feel she could play her best golf, she did the right thing," Inkster said.

Divots: Sörenstam won the 2001 Canadian Open in Ontario, but missed last year's tournament to play an event in her native Sweden. ... Leslie Spalding used a 5-iron for a hole-in-one on the 158-yard second. She shot a 75.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page