National Post (National Edition)
Creamer sets pace at LPGA final major
Rahm leads with an eight-under 62 in St. Jude Classic
Seeking her first win since 2014, Paula Creamer shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 Thursday to seize the first-round lead at The Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Her seventh birdie at the par-5 18th gave the 32-year-old Creamer a one-shot lead over fellow American Brittany Altomare and South Koreans Mi Hyang Lee, Jin Young Ko and seven-time major winner Inbee Park.
“I feel really just in control,” Creamer said. “It’s been several years where I felt like just all-in-all good in my shoes.”
The Evian is the fifth and final major of 2019 for the LPGA Tour. Temperatures climbed to 36 C on Thursday at the Evian Resort Golf Club.
Creamer’s last tour victory came at the HSBC Women’s Champions event in Singapore in March 2014. She won her only major at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open in Oakmont, Pa.
“Coming here obviously puts a big smile on my face,” said Creamer, who won at Evian in 2005 as an 18-year-old rookie before the tournament achieved its major status.
Two shots back at 5-under are England’s Mel Reid and Jennifer Kupcho, the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner in April.
Kupcho, 22, turned pro earlier this summer following a career at Wake Forest that included a victory at Evian with the U.S. collegiate team in the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup.
“It’s kind of nice to have a familiar place to go,” said Kupcho, who carded six birdies and one bogey in her round of 66. “Before last year I had never been over to Europe, so coming over, jet lag definitely messed with me a little bit.”
Austin Ernst and South Koreans Sung Hyun Park and Chella Choi are tied for eighth at 4 under.
Alena Sharp of Hamilton was the top Canadian, carding an evenpar 71, while Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., fired a 1-over 72.
Defending champion Angela Stanford had a triple-bogey at the par-3 eighth hole along with five bogeys and three birdies. She finished at 5-over 76, tied for 102nd.
Fifty-one players finished the first round at the 6,527-yard course overlooking Lake Geneva at even par or better.
Storms are forecast for the weekend, causing organizers to move Friday’s tee times forward by 30 minutes.
ST. JUDE CLASSIC
Spaniard Jon Rahm enjoyed a dream day with the putter and charged into the lead with an eightunder-par 62 in the first round of the WGC-St. Jude Classic in Memphis on Thursday.
Rahm sank a bunch of mediumlength putts in the 15-to-20-foot range, notching eight birdies at TPC Southwind, where he got upand-down from 60 yards at his final hole to keep his card bogeyfree.
He enjoyed a three-shot lead over a large group including Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and American Bubba Watson.
An elite 63-man field is contesting the World Golf Championships event, which has replaced the old regular full-field PGA Tour event held on the same course until last year.
Tiger Woods and British Open champion Shane Lowry are among a handful of eligible players skipping the tournament.