Jeong Jang thought everything was easy in her record-setting opening round in the Longs Drugs Challenge. She doesn't expect anything to stay that way on this tricky new course.
Jang birdied four of her last six holes Thursday for a course-record 8-under 64 and a three-stroke lead over Karrie Webb and Charlottetown's Lorie Kane.
Jang charged through the tournament's new home on Blackhawk Country Club's hilly, twisting Lakeside course, picking up eight birdies with bogey-free precision that shocked even the seven-year veteran herself.
``I was surprised. I never think I'm going to shoot 8 under,'' said Jang, the 2005 Women's British Open champion. ``Everything was kind of easy. I wanted to hit a spot on the fairway, I did. I wanted to hit a spot on the green, I did. So I was kind of surprised.''
Kane and Webb shot 67s, and Lorena Ochoa, Jill McGill and Candie Kung opened with 68s. Hamilton's Alena Sharp and defending champion Nicole Perrot was in a large pack at 3 under.
Dawn Coe-Jones of Lake Cowichan, B.C., shot a par-72, Nancy Harvey of Swift Current, Sask., had a 2-over 74.
Gail Graham of Kelowna, B.C., withdrew.
Jang went 5{ years on tour without a victory before holding off Annika Sorenstam and a tough field at Royal Birkdale last summer. She won again this June at the Wegmans LPGA in upstate New York, then finished second last month in the Safeway Classic in Portland.
But the popular golfer known as ``J.J.'' had the best round of her career at this tournament in 2002, shooting a 62 at the event's former home near Sacramento _ and her 64 at Blackhawk beat the previous course record by one stroke.
``It looks easy because of 8 under, but it wasn't that easy,'' said Jang, a South Korean who lives in Orlando. ``It's really tight, and the greens are really small. It was really hard to hit a second shot today. I made a lot of putts. ... The greens were better than (Wednesday), and I can putt.''
Most of those were easy: Jang couldn't recall a putt longer than 15 feet all day. She did it with an outstanding short game, hitting a beautiful nine-iron shot 125 yards within five feet on the 13th hole, then following it up with a 131-yard shot within five feet again on the 18th.
Sorenstam shot a 70 that included two bogeys on the first three holes. The defending player of the year fought back for a steady round, but praised Jang's effort.
``Eight under is good on any golf course,'' Sorenstam said. ``The greens are very small, so you have to hit the ball very well. I wouldn't say it was expected out here. It's not an easy golf course to play. It's not an easy golf course to walk.''
Indeed, while the golfers had green-to-tee cart shuttles on nine of the 18 holes, spectators had to hike the rolling hill country in this posh section of the Bay Area's eastern suburbs. What's more, fans were prohibited from walking along with the players on the hard-to-access 12th and 13th holes, forcing them to catch up later.
Paula Creamer, last season's LPGA rookie of the year, had a big rooting section from her hometown of Pleasanton, just eight kilometres south. The 20-year-old star started slowly with a pair of three-putt bogeys, but made two late birdies before holing a 50-foot eagle putt on her final hole to finish with a 69.
``I have not been that nervous in a long time,'' Creamer said. ``It was a little awakening for me. ... I'm at home, and you hear lots of `Go Paulas!' or `Go Pleasanton!' Hopefully (Friday), I can channel that energy instead of being so nervous out there.''
Natalie Gulbis, another local favourite from the Sacramento area, dropped out moments before teeing off, citing an injured finger.
