Sorenstam shoots 71 despite late bogies

Sabbatini takes narrow advantage

Annika Sorenstam suffered two bogeys in her closing five holes to take the shine off a solid first round at the Colonial PGA tournament on Thursday as she carded a one-over par 71.

After the Swede, the first woman in 58 years to compete in a PGA Tour event, had completed her first nine holes one under she frustratingly dropped shots at the fifth, her 14th, and at the last.

Her solitary birdie on the par-three 13th, after she had started her historic round on the 10th, took her to the turn just two shots off the pace.

The two dropped shots moved her down the leader board, six shots behind early pace setter Patrick Sheehan who signed for an impressive 65.

Sorenstam's inclusion in the tournament has attracted huge publicity and some players, including major winners Vijay Singh and Nick Price, voiced their disapproval.

But she put all the hype out of her head as she launched a 275-yard drive straight down the fairway on her opening hole.

She went on to hit all the fairways in regulation and needed only 13 putts as she covered the first nine holes in 34 shots to outstrip playing partners Aaron Barber and Dean Wilson.

Wilson eventually finished level with Sorenstam, while Barber could only manage a two-over 72.

After a par on her opening hole, Sorenstam made a comfortable five on the 11th -- the longest on the course at 609 yards.

She was slightly left after a drive of 253 yards and her second shot took her within 133 yards of the flag. The third took her on to the green but was 20 feet short. Her putt for birdie was three feet short but she saved par without difficulty.

After a solid four on the par-four 433-yard 12th, the world's best woman golfer took a six-iron at the 176-yard par-three 13th to reach the outer edge of the green.

Wearing white trousers, a dark navy blue-and-white, short-sleeved shirt, black baseball cap and white shoes, a relaxed Sorenstam promptly sank her putt from eight yards for a birdie.

The crowd were delighted and so was the Swede, clenching her fist and smiling as she moved to one under.

Sorenstam had an outside chance of another birdie at the next but missed a 12-yarder. Pars followed at the next four holes as the Swede settled into her rhythm.

Her first moment of trouble came at the second, her 11th, but she holed a tricky par putt to stay at one under.

Regulation pars followed on the next two holes before she missed her first fairway on the tricky fifth.

Hitting a low four-iron from the left rough she found the putting surface, but she took three putts from the far side of the green to go back to level par.

She bounced back with three successive pars but dropped her second shot of the day at the ninth when her approach was long and off the green.

The 32-year-old putted on her third shot, but sent the ball racing 10 feet past the hole and missed the return putt.

Sorenstam hit 13 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, needing 33 putts.

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