Manulife Financial LPGA Classic 2012: Angela Stanford tied for fourth position at the end of the first round
American Angela Stanford showed a tremendous performance in the opening round of the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic 2012, as she tied for the fourth position after posting a 67.
Stanford got off to a solid start at the much-hyped event being staged at Waterloo, Canada, and kept other contenders at a distance right from the beginning.
The opening round was disrupted by rough weather conditions and a threat of lightening, as tournament officials had to abandon the match for the day.
Key contenders, who could not begin their round because of the stormy weather, include American Lexi Thompson and Paula Creamer.
Other contenders who grabbed attention on the first day included Suzann Pettersen of Norway. Pettersen held her ground as she posted a decent 67 to stand tied for the fourth position on the leaderboard.
Analysts said that although Stanford was not considered as the favourite contender for the coveted title, she stunned the Canadian spectators by posting a good score.
Moreover, American Sandra Changkija registered a 63 to take the first-round lead.
Speaking to the media at the end of the storm-marred round, Stanford said that she is extremely thrilled to find the fourth spot along with big names. She said her strategy was to avoid making bogeys, which
helped her greatly.
The American star stunned her fans and rivals when she shot four straight birdies on the third, fourth, fifth and sixth hole.
She went on to say that she had been troubled with her putting and swing, but now she has managed to fix her lapses. Stanford attributed her superb performance in the first round to vigorous training she has
been doing on the practice range for the last few months.
“I got off to a steady start and just really got comfortable out there. I did some work last week hitting balls and working on my putting. I kind of like the golf course,” said Stanford.
“It's good, it's really good. The foundation, I just found out that our ‑‑ the kids that we're helping this year, the checks were sent, so that's always a good feeling to know that they're off to school”.
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