KAPALUA » Suzann Pettersen began 2008 at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay as one of a handful of golfers expected to challenge Lorena Ochoa for world No. 1.

After winning five times in 2007, including a major at the LPGA Championship, the Norwegian with the hot temper and blistering drives was primed to be among the world's best.

Early in 2007, she sent longtime swing coach Simon Holmes packing for guru Gary Gilchrist, who promptly worked to keep the big-hitting Pettersen in the fairways and on the greens, an approach that worked well enough to give the European prodigy her due.

So when she came to Hawaii in February of this year, Pettersen was trying on a new bag of clubs and never seriously threatened with a tie for 16th at the SBS Open and a tie for 15th at the now-defunct Fields Open.

It would be a portent of things to come for the 27-year-old, who grabbed yesterday's first-round lead at the $1.5 million Kapalua Classic with a steady 4-under 68 in blustery conditions at the Bay Course at Kapalua Resort. She enters today's second round with a one-shot lead over Brittany Lang—who, like Pettersen, went off early before the trades began to howl—and Tracy Hanson.

Pettersen broke away from the field with back-to-back birdies to close her round. Starting on the back nine, she had birdies at Nos. 13 and 18 to make the turn at 35, before carding four birdies and two bogeys on the front side for a closing 33.

And while she has won twice in Europe this year, Pettersen is still looking for her first LPGA Tour victory in 2008. She has come close, finishing second at the Kraft Nabisco and again at the Wegmans LPGA in June, where she blew a three-shot lead with six holes to play, forcing her to make another coaching change.

Exit Gilchrist and enter David Leadbetter, not exactly the way Pettersen would have drawn it up at the beginning of the season, but she's hopeful the changes will pay off before year's end.

“;My year?”; Pettersen said. “;It's been great. It's been interesting. I've been kind of adding some people to my team and kicking some people off. Some people have been replacing other people. I mean, I've been playing great. I've been making changes. I won pretty solid two tournaments in Europe, so it's not like I've gone a year without winning.

“;I've been close over here. I just haven't quite caught up. But I know if I am patient and I play well, I'm capable of winning and that's the most important thing. Yeah, I mean, right now, just trying to adjust a little bit to the new stuff in my swing and this is the time to do it and still try to be competitive and be playable out here.”;

She is currently ranked fifth in the world behind Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, Yani Tseng and Paula Creamer. She has pocketed $970,500 en route to seven top-10 finishes, but hasn't hoisted a tour trophy since the Honda LPGA Thailand 50 weeks ago.

Pettersen is still long off the tee at 266.4, yet not always accurate. She is ranked eighth on the LPGA Tour in distance, trailing No. 1 Ochoa by an average of 3.7 yards. But while Pettersen is 93rd in driving accuracy, she recovers well enough to be fifth in greens in regulation.

“;It's such a fine line of what kind of defines a great year, a good year and an average year,”; Pettersen said. “;People are expecting me to win and it's almost harder. You're never better than your worst shot.”;

She was one of only 19 players to land in red figures with only five of those teeing it up in the afternoon, including Hanson. She tied Lang late, thanks in part to a hole-in-one at the 12th. She had one other birdie and 16 pars in difficult conditions.