Sorenstam tips send Tseng top at British Open

by Elspeth Burnside

GOLF: SOUTHPORT, United Kingdom, July 31 (AFP) - Yani Tseng put Annika Sorenstam’s advice to good use here on Friday to secure a four-shot halfway lead at the Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale.

With a repeat of her opening round 68, the Taiwanese 21-year-old surged to the top of the leaderboard on eight under par.

South Korea’s Yang Amy and Brittany Lincicome, who both shot 71, and Cristie Kerr, who filed a best-of-championship 67, shared second place on four under. World No.1 Shin Jiyai, who had to play in an afternoon downpour, stayed in touch on two under after a second successive 71, while 50-year-old Juli Inkster, another who had to battle through the rain, was even better placed on three under thanks to a 70.

Paula Creamer, the US Women’s Open Champion, made the cut with a shot to spare on four over par after a 74. Still recovering from thumb surgery, she was in real pain after hitting a shot out of the rough at the 17th.

“It went into spasm and really hurt,” she explained. “But the same thing happened at the Evian Masters last week and it was fine by the next day.”

Definitely out of the weekend was defending champion Catriona Matthew. The 40-year-old Scot ran up a ten at the 13th and finished with an 81 for 12 over par. Her 13th-hole nightmare saw her drive into a bramble bush, hit a third shot into deep rough and then have three hacks before taking a penalty drop and making a chip and two putts.

“Having a ten and missing the cut is not the way I wanted to defend the title,” Matthew admitted. “I was playing so well on the range, but couldn’t take the same game onto the course.”

Tseng has won two majors — the 2008 LPGA Championship and the first one this year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship — and was runner-up to Shin in this championship at Sunningdale two years ago. Having bought Sorenstam’s house in Orlando in Florida a couple of years ago, the pair have become firm friends and Tseng has dipped into the mind of Sweden’s ten-time major champion, who retired at the end of the 2008 season.

“She has taught me a lot about the thinking side of the game,” said Tseng, a golfer since the age of five.

“She knows I am a very aggressive player, but told me I had to play smarter.”

While she hit all 18 greens and didn’t drop a shot in her opening 68, Tseng admitted that the second round had been less perfect.