Catriona Matthew fails to surprise fans in the 1st round of HSBC Women's Champions
Catriona Matthew could not get off to an impressive start in the first round of the HSBC Women’s Champions, as she stood tied at the 27th position on the leaderboard.
Matthew was expected to stun the spectators, given her stunning performance in the past events. However, she faltered on most of the holes at Tanah Merah Country Club and scored a 2-over 74.
Scottish Matthew boasts an impressive profile, as she won the Women’s British Open in 2009. However, the 2012 HSBC Women’s Champions saw her waver in the first round.
Speaking of her unpredictable game, Matthew said she did not expect to start at such a slow pace but there were definitely several mistakes that took a toll on her score.
Calling her game a “little bit rusty,” the Scottish star said she was not feeling fully fit in the first round, which is why she missed too many easy chances.
She said that the course was perfect to score well but she could not calculate her putts, messing up the scorecard.
She stated, “[My game] is a little bit rusty and I made a couple of bogeys due to being a little scrappy today,” said the North Berwick player. I had a lot of chances on the last six holes but couldn’t hole any putts”.
HSBC Women’s Champions is one of the prestigious events on the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Tour.
The strong 63-player field is featuring key players that also include the current world number one.
Matthew will have to put her best foot forward in order to win the $1.4 million tournament, but the first round concluded with big surprises.
American Angela Stanford surprised the spectators, as she grabbed the first-round lead by carding a 6-under 66.
Stanford looked fired up right from the start, as she made the most of the good windy conditions.
She drained 4 birdies on the front nine. The American forged ahead with consistency, avoiding making careless putts.
She made a perfect birdie-putt on the 10th. "Well it was a pretty good start, birdied 10 and hit it pretty close on 11, in the past I think I've struggled with that stretch right there, 10, 11, 12," Stanford said.
On the other hand, defending champion Karrie Webb is standing tied for 27th at the end of the 1st day.
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