StarBulletin.com

Hanson gets the bounce on 12


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POSTED: Friday, October 17, 2008

KAPALUA» You won't get any argument from Tracy Hanson that aces are wild.

After shooting par on 11 consecutive holes yesterday, Hanson wrote down a 1 on her card after acing the par-3 12th to propel her near the top of the leaderboard of the Kapalua Classic.

Making only nine cuts in 17 tournaments, Hanson isn't used to publicity. But all that changed with an ace and a birdie at the 15th to leave her at 3-under 69 and in a tie for second with Brittany Lang. Both trail first-day leader Suzann Pettersen by one shot entering today's second round of the inaugural LPGA event.

“;It hit, kind of bounced right and then I looked away and one of the caddies said, 'I think that went in' and I said, 'No, no one is cheering.' But the wind was blowing so hard we couldn't hear the cheering,”; said Hanson, who used a 7-iron on the 156-yard hole. “;I already had my putter in my hand.”;

Hanson was one of only five golfers in the afternoon round to shoot under par. Her best finish this year is a tie for 30th.

 

Sorenstam in trouble

Annika Sorenstam began the year with a win in the first full-field event on the LPGA Tour, but she's not likely to duplicate that feat in the last full-field event in the United States. Sorenstam, the winner of the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, opened with a 5-over 77 in blustery conditions yesterday at the Bay Course at the Kapalua Resort.

Dating back to 1994, Sorenstam has missed the cut in only nine events, the last coming at the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill in 2006. She begins the second round in a tie for 99th. The world's No. 2 player was paired with Morgan Pressel and world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa. None of the talented threesome broke par, but they will go off early today before the wind kicks up.

The cut line will likely be 4 or 5 over, meaning Sorenstam has some work to do if she wants to play through to the weekend. Her sister, Charlotta, also shot 5 over. This will be the last tournament the twosome ever plays together. Annika has said she will retire at the end of the year.

 

Inside the numbers

Despite Hanson's hole-in-one, the par-3 12th was the most difficult hole, with a scoring average of 3.348. Besides Hanson's eagle, there were 11 birdies, 65 pars, 51 bogeys and four double bogeys.

The easiest hole was the par-5 15th with a scoring average of 4.598. There was one eagle, plus 59 birdies, 64 pars and eight bogeys. The scoring average for the opening round was 74.386.

 

In the pink

Today, players were encouraged to wear pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The LPGA's official national charity is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Pressel, who represents Kapalua on the LPGA Tour, was only 15 when she lost her mother to breast cancer.