Ochoa, Creamer tied atop leader board at first major

The Associated Press

Published Saturday, March 31, 2007

Lorena Ochoa was in the rough on the left, under the trees on the right and not always sure where the next shot was headed. When a demanding day ended at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, she was right where she wanted to be.

Ochoa bounced back from a double bogey with two birdies that sent her to a 1-under 71 yesterday, leaving her atop the leader board with Paula Creamer in the first LPGA Tour major of the year and on track to replace Annika Sorenstam at No. 1 in the world.

Even after she opened with a 73, Creamer felt a score like Ochoa’s record-tying 62 was available at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif. She did her best with a bogey-free 67 in which she missed four birdie putts inside 12 feet, including the last two holes.

Ochoa and Creamer were at 4-under 140, one shot ahead of Shi Hyun Ahn (73) and Suzann Pettersen (69), the runner-up to Ochoa last week outside Phoenix.

Se Ri Pak shot 70 and was at 142.

● PGA: In Humble, Texas, Jason Gore got a boost from the Rocket in the Houston Open.

Wearing a black Houston Astros cap that Roger Clemens gave him, Gore shot a 4-under 68 to join a six-player logjam at the top.

Defending champion Stuart Appleby (72), Bubba Watson (67), D.J. Brigman (68) and Texans Bob Estes (71) and Jeff Maggert (71) also were 6-under after two rounds, and Hunter Mahan (71), Tommy Armour III (71) and Tom Byrum (68) were one shot back.

● Champions: In Palm Coast, Fla., Brad Bryant had an eagle and four birdies during a six-hole stretch and finished with a 5-under 67 in windy conditions for a share of the first-round lead with Keith Fergus in the Ginn Championship.

Raymond Floyd, a four-time major champion, flirted with shooting his age of 64 before settling for a 68 to tie Des Smyth, R.W. Eaks and Joe Ozaki. It was Floyd’s best opening round on the Champions Tour this season.