AVENTURA, Fla. - Morgan Pressel
is playing this week about an half-hour south of her home, before
plenty of friends who typically never get to see her work up
close.
Not even that could provide her
with a much-needed boost.
Pressel shot a 5-over 75 on
Thursday, putting her eight shots off the lead after one round of
the Stanford International Pro-Am and leaving her hopes of making
the cut in a fair amount of jeopardy. Since winning the Kraft
Nabisco Championship last year and becoming the youngest major
winner in LPGA Tour history, Pressel only has six top-10 finishes
in 27 events, and this week isn't looking like a turnaround.
"I've changed a lot. I've
changed a lot about my golf game," Pressel said. "At
times it's better. At times it's not."
Thursday was an example of the
latter, although Pressel was hardly alone in struggling on a windy
day at Turnberry Isle.
Paula Creamer shot a 3-under 68,
giving her a share of the lead with Momeko Ueda and Young Kim on a
day that turned into a test of endurance more than anything else.
Only 21 of 111 pros broke par, on a course that was far from easy
for the tour players — and downright diabolical for amateurs.
"I thought it was extremely
tough," said Annika Sorenstam, who was in a group one shot
back. "It was way too tough."
Sorenstam likened the course to a
U.S. Open setup, saying she felt badly for the amateurs, many of
whom struggled mightily on a course far tougher than their norm.
Yani Tseng had a hamburger and two chocolate chip cookies after
nine holes, because she couldn't endure not eating for three more
hours. One tee box had four groups waiting at once. And most
rounds lasted nearly six hours.
"It does take a toll on
you," Creamer said. "I found myself a couple times
wandering out there and would have to start my routine over and
focus. There's a lot going on and that's something you're not
necessarily used to. I'm pleased with how I managed it."
Carolina Llano — the final
alternate to get into the field — shot a 2-under 69 to be in the
logjam one shot off the lead, along with Tseng, Sorenstam, Candie
Kung, Kyeong Bae, Meena Lee and South Florida native Cristie Kerr.
Christina Kim (who made triple
bogey at the par-5 18th to lose the outright lead), Juli Inkster
and Mi Hyun Kim were part of another pack two shots behind the
triumvirate of leaders.
There's two courses in use this
week, the par-71 Soffer layout and the par-70 Miller track, with
each team playing those courses once Thursday and Friday. For the
third and fourth rounds, only the Soffer course will be used.
By then, the pace of play might be
a bit more brisk.
Also by then, Pressel might be home
for the weekend.
She's still a teenager (for another
month, anyway), but given how long she's been making headlines,
that's easy to forget.
When she qualified for the U.S.
Women's Open as a 12-year-old, she was — at that time — the
youngest player to achieve that feat. She made a scintillating run
at the 2005 U.S. Open, finishing second there the same year she
won the U.S. Women's Amateur.
And last year came what was
supposed to be the breakthrough: Victory at Mission Hills. But
little has been easy for Pressel since, and earlier this week, she
said some disappointing results have been "a wake-up
call" telling her to "work harder."
"I've never heard her admit
that before," said Pressel's grandfather, Herb Krickstein.
"Well, if she wants to be one of the best players, she better
get back to work. That's the way it is."
So after Thursday's round — one
that went downhill with three straight bogeys on the back side —
ended, that's what she did.
Pressel only hit about 15 balls,
but spent a long time on the putting green, desperate to regain a
touch that simply isn't there right now.
"I haven't quite put it
altogether quite yet," Pressel said. "Hopefully
soon."
