Golf Update: Miyazato jumps into lead by 5 under at the Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club
Ai Miyazato spurs into the lead after shooting a round of 6 under 66 on Friday at the Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club west of Portland, followed by Teresa Lu and Jee Young Lee.
First of all a little preview about the tournament; this is the second year for the event to be held at a rural course as before it was held at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club for 19 years.
The event which is being discussed here is being held at the 18-hole "Ghost Creek" course at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club facility in North Plains, Oregon designed by Robert E. Cupp. The course stretches on a land of 6,839 yards with the longest tees for a par 71.According to the ratings the course stands at the 73.8th spot with a slope rating of 140.
Coming to the news, after a long time the Japanese lady Ai Miyazato has set her eyes on reclaiming her title of being No. 1 at the event that is a taking place from 16th August to the 22nd August, 2010.
The 24-year-old Ai Miyazato is currently in the war zone with 4 other ladies heading towards the top of the official world golf ranking. The other four competing for the same title are the current number 1 Cristie Kerr, who is American according to her origin, Followed by Jiyai Shin of South Korea at number 3 , Suzann Pettersen of Norway at number 4 and Yani Tseng of Taiwan at the 5th ranking.
As for the number two according to the OWGR, Ai Miyazato, the tournament is in real a true representation of patriotism, as all the top 5 are competing in it and each one is representing a different country which becomes a source of motivation for the players.
Moreover, the interesting part of the story is that ever since Lorena Ochoa took retirement from the sports world, Ai Miyazato, Cristie Kerr and Jiyai Shin have interchanged ranks for thrice in last three months. As for Ai Miyazato, she is very happy for being on the top of the charts at the OWGR, although it was merely first two weeks .According to Miyazato this is the very first time she has experienced something so great for her career. Moreover, this is the fourth time in the season that Ai Miyazato has won on the tour.
Moving further, Yani Tseng shot a 3 over 75 which was one of the most miserable performances of the 21-year-old.Although she performed, really well throughout the season as she is the winner of the Women’s British Open that took place in this August. That was her 2nd major victory of the season and the 3rd in three years. Few months before the open, in April she won the Kraft Nabisco championship as well , there she delivered a 6-foot par putt on the 18th hole at the course of Royal Birkdale and spurred to a one-stroke victory over Katherine Hull. Yani Tseng is also the winner of LPGA Championship that took place in 2008.
As for other players in the second group of the leader board who shot 4 under 68, there were 4 names on the list. The first name was of the South Korea's Chella Choi, second was of Taiwan's Amy Hung, third was the American Brittany Lincicome and the last was yet another Japanese Momoko Ueda. Another prominent name was of that of Juli Inkster at 3 under but she was not alone there as there were 4 more players who were 3 under as well.
The last but not the least M.J. Hur, the defending champion of the tournament shot a 74 on Friday which was yet another very bad score.
To wrap it up, the first round of the Safeway Classic has finished at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club west of Portland and the player in lead Ai Miyazato has entered the second round of the tournament with 6 under followed by Teresa Lu and Jee Young Lee.
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