Sabbatini leads but Sorenstam impresses

Rory Sabbatini may have put himself in position for his first title in three years but his achievements were overshadowed by the appearance of Annika Sorenstam at the Colonial.

With enormous galleries following her every move, Sorenstam stole the spotlight, and she did not melt under it, shooting a one-over-par 71.

The first woman in 58 years and only the second in history to play in a PGA Tour event, Sorenstam held her own against the boys, totalling one birdie, two bogeys and 15 pars on a warm, damp day at Colonial Country Club.

Sabbatini – a 27-year-old South African who attended the University of Arizona shortly after Sorenstam and claimed his only tour win at the 2000 Air Canada Championship – carded a six-under-par 64 late in the day to grab a one-stroke lead.

“It’s always nice to have the lead,” he said. “I don’t mind if they don’t notice. I just hope they don’t notice until Monday. That would be even better.”

The day belonged to Sorenstam, who joined Babe Zaharias – voted the greatest female athlete of the 20th century – as the only women to play in a PGA Tour event.

Thousands of fans realised the historic significance, swarming to Colonial to see Sorenstam for themselves. Even PGA Tour players were taken aback by the size of the galleries.

“It looked like Tiger Woods’ gallery when he’s in town,” said Dan Forsman, who was tied for second, two shots off the pace.

It was an impressive performance by the 32-year-old Swede, who breathed a sigh of relief and feigned a collapse after hitting her first drive, then overcame nerves on each ensuing stroke.

The butterflies never disappeared, even with hordes of fans cheering and chanting her name through 18 holes.

“I felt a little sick in my stomach, my hands were a little sweaty - everything that you feel when you are under pressure and stress,” she said. “I’ve been nervous before, but this was a little more than usual.”

A Hall of Famer in waiting who has been criticised for accepting a sponsor’s exemption, Sorenstam began her round with three pars before sinking a 15-foot birdie putt from the fringe at the 178-yard, par-three 13th.

What followed was the kind of consistency that has made her the best player on the LPGA Tour.

She hit 13-of-14 fairways and 14-of-18 greens, including 13 in a row.

“I just expected her to hit good shot after good shot,” said playing partner Aaron Barber. “She didn’t come close to missing the fairway. Maybe she missed one. But it was just easy to watch.”

Sorenstam bogeyed the 470-yard, par-four fifth, known as ‘Death Valley’, and the 402-yard, par-four ninth, missing putts of six and eight feet.

Expected to be a factor, distance made a difference at the fifth hole, once named the most challenging par-four on the PGA Tour.

She hit her second-farthest drive of the day – 271 yards – but sent it left into the rough.

While it was the only fairway she missed, it was costly. Partially blocked by a tree, she could only find the front right side of the green, 63 feet from the cup. A three-putt dropped her to even par.

Sorenstam also bogeyed the ninth, where her approach rolled just off the back of the green. She putted it eight feet past and missed the comebacker, going over par for the first time all day – a feat that impressed PGA Tour members.

“That’s a good round for anybody out here,” said rookie Patrick Sheehan, who was tied for second with Mark Calcavecchia. “It would be like us playing a golf course that’s over 8,000 yards.”

Because of the closing bogey, Sorenstam was dangerously close to missing the cut, which includes the top 30 players, plus ties.

“I would love to make the cut, but if I play like I did in the first round, then it really doesn’t matter,” she said.

Other than her bogeys, the only trouble Sorenstam had was mild.

She saved par from three feet at the 609-yard, par-five 11th and five and a half feet at the par-four second and sixth.

She began the ‘Horrible Horseshoe’, named for numbers three-five, with a par, missing a 13-footer for birdie at the 476-yard third, the longest par-four on the course.

While Sorenstam was elated with her round, it could have been much better. She missed five birdie putts from within 20 feet, including a 12-footer at the par-five first and a six-footer at the par-three 16th.

“Yeah, I left a few putts out there, but under these circumstances, I knew I was going to make some mistakes,” she said. “And if these are the mistakes I make, I’ll take them.”

Sorenstam also received her share of breaks, hitting the bank of a greenside bunker with her tee shot at the 16th and approach at the 18th. After her second fortuitous bounce, she grinned and stretched out her hands in disbelief.

“The force was behind me today, totally,” she said. “I’m thankful for both those shots.”

The highlight of her day came at the 13th hole, where she rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt, pumped her right fist, smiled and accepted congratulations from playing partner Aaron Barber.

“Yeah, that was a great little birdie,” she said. “I hit six-iron on that hole. I told my caddie, ‘well, at least I made one birdie’.”

Sorenstam beat one of the rookies in her threesome and tied the other as Barber carded a 72 and Wilson a 71. Both were supportive of Sorenstam all day.

“We tied, luckily,” joked Wilson, who parred the final hole. “I had to work for it too, boy.”

Sabbatini did not have to work much during his round, which included seven birdies and a bogey but came well under the radar on a day reserved for Sorenstam.

“I don’t have a problem with it,” he said. “I played, I did the best I could and personally what I feel about my game is what counts, and I’m very happy with the way I played.”

Forsman and Jesper Parnevik of Sweden share fourth at 66, a stroke ahead of a group of 16 players that included Phil Mickelson.

Among those looking up at the best female golfer in the world were Spanish star Sergio Garcia, former major winners Tom Lehman, Bob Tway and Steve Elkington of Australia (72), and Scott McCarron (74).