Kris Tschetter takes narrow advantage

Kris Tschetter shot a 3-under 69 in driving rain that gave way to windy afternoon conditions Thursday to top the field in the first round of the LPGA Franklin American Mortgage Championship.

Tschetter made par on just one of her first seven holes and finished with six birdies and three bogeys to take a one-stroke lead over Cristie Kerr, Grace Park and Stacy Prammanasudh on the Vanderbilt Legends Club's Ironhorse Course.

"This course is playing so long right now,'' Tschetter said. "I can't ever remember it playing like this.''

Tschetter, an 18-year veteran who won her lone LPGA Tour title in 1992, got off to a quick start by holing a 50-foot putt on No. 10, her first hole of the day. But she gave the stroke back on the next hole, setting the tone for the day.

"I just said, 'I have to be patient, there's going to be tough golf out there' and just tried not to let it bother me,'' she said.

Tschetter's final birdies came on the sixth and seventh holes. She hit a 5-wood into the green and sank a 20-foot putt on the 396-yard par-4 sixth before putting a sand wedge within a foot on No. 7. She hit 13 of 14 fairways and had 30 putts.

"Normally, this is a course where you can hit a lot of wedges and 9-irons and you expect to make a lot of birdies,'' she said. "But it was just so long today.''

Park, returning after a three-week layoff because of back problems, birdied three out of four holes to take an early lead. She birdied No. 8, but had bogeys on Nos. 7 and 9 to close the round.

"I hit a 9-iron to about 15 feet [on the eighth], it was just a slider left to right and I made it,'' she said. "It was nice after bogeying the seventh.''

No. 7, a short par 5, was the easiest hole in scoring average for the first round, but Park gave the stroke right back on her final hole, No. 9, and kicked her golf bag in frustration.

The weather made it frustrating for almost everyone, but it wasn't unexpected. Rain fell all four days of last year's tournament, and rain Tuesday and Wednesday this week forced most of the players to shorten their preparation.

Kerr was pleased with her round in the difficult conditions.

"I didn't hit too many errant shots, and I didn't hit too many great shots,'' she said. "But I played very well.''

Prammanasudh didn't have to play in the rain the whole round, but she said the wind came into play.

"As if it wasn't long enough already, the holes against the wind were pretty tough,'' she said. "You just had to stay patient out there. Par was your friend.''

Young Mexican star Lorena Ochoa, making her first title defense, and Wendy Ward, who finished second in last year's tournament, opened with 71.

Ochoa said she didn't have much luck putting while officials tried to keep puddles off the greens in a losing effort in the morning.

"You had to hit it really close to make birdies,'' she said.

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