KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Fil-Am Dorothy Delasin turned in a bogey-free 68 to trail Jeong Jang by four at the start of the Fields Open at the Ko Olina Golf Club Thursday.
Out to atone for her dismal finish in last week’s SBS Open where she wound up 75th, Delasin went to work with a birdie opening, gunned down another on No. 4 before firing two more on Nos. 13 and 16 to complete a round of 34-34 at the par-72 layout.
That put her in joint fifth with 10 others, including Korean Se Ri Pak, Maria Hjorth and Moira Dunn, three strokes behind Jang, who made nine birdies to offset a lone bogey for that 64 and a two-shot lead over fancied Paula Creamer.
Jennifer Rosales holed out with a bogey and settled for a one-under 71 for a share of 46th place in the 54-hole tournament serving as the second leg of this year’s LPGA season.
It was a big improvement from her opening 78 in the SBS Open where she missed the cut but Rosales will have to shoot a low round to make it to the final round.
Jang, the 2005 British Open champion, opened with an 8-under 64, making nine birdies in a 16-hole stretch. Creamer shot a 66, getting birdies on the last three holes for a 5-under 31 on the back nine.
Michelle Wie made sure she didn’t get too far ahead of herself in her first tournament round of the year, firing aa 69 to finish five strokes off Jang.
Annika Sorenstam, trying to complete a Hawaiian sweep after winning at the season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay for her 70th LPGA Tour title, opened with a 70. – With AP reports