Injuries halted Suzann Pettersen’s pursuit of a second Lotte Championship title the past two years. She returned to Ko Olina Golf Club on Wednesday and was pleased with a score in red numbers after a wind-blown first round.
Pettersen survived a playoff with Lizette Salas to win the event in 2013, skipped the tournament in 2014 due to a bad back and withdrew after carding a 69 in the second round last year due to a shoulder injury.
She managed to grind out a 1-under 71 on Wednesday, finishing her round with seven straight pars.
“It’s nice to be back, I like this place. Obviously the conditions this year are a bit more challenging, but I think it’s going to be quite fair overall throughout the entire field. It’s going to be a grinding week.
“I played well, had one three putt, had a couple of chances. As we made the turn the wind picked up. Sometimes it’s actually quite hard with the wind on the greens. Even if you have a good look, the wind gets so much into your body. But overall I played pretty solid.”
Pettersen returned to action about a month after withdrawing from Lotte last year and went on to post eight top-10 finishes over the remainder of the season. She arrived in Hawaii ranked 13th in the world coming off a tie for 10th at the ANA Inspiration two weeks ago.
Ai Miyazato, winner of the inaugural Lotte Championship in 2012, played alongside Pettersen on Wednesday and opened with a 3 over 75.
Future is bright
The current contract with the Lotte Championship and the LPGA Tour ends in 2017. But if that makes you a bit uncomfortable, don’t be, officials like it here in Hawaii just fine.
Calling the future here in Hawaii a bright one, look for the contract to be extended as this year’s tournament attracted seven of the top 10 in the world, including World No. 1 Lydia Ko, who skipped last year’s event here. It helps if local favorite Michelle Wie is in contention, but she will have to go low today in order to overcome an opening-round 80 on Wednesday.
Inside the numbers
While the hardest hole was the par-4 18th, the easiest was the par-5 fifth that was downwind in Wednesday’s blustery conditions. Basically, the wind howled as the scoring average of 74.638 will attest. There were only seven rounds in the 60s with two 4-under 68s the best 18s.
The par-5 fifth posted a scoring average of 4.833 with two eagles, one by Lexi Thompson, playing here for the first time since 2012, and 43 birdies. Thompson needed that eagle to offset a poor putting performance that resulted in an opening-day 75. She is in danger of missing the cut thanks in part to needing 34 putts.
FIRST TEE
7 a.m.
SooBin Kim Su Oh Nontaya Srisawang
7:11
Ashleigh Albrecht Amelia Lewis
Su-Yeon Jang
7:22
Q Baek
Azahara Munoz
Briana Mao
7:33
Suzuka Yamaguchi
Jaclyn Jansen,
Anne Catherine Tanguay
7:44
Kris Tamulis
Simin Feng
Haru Nomura
7:55
Paula Reto
Jacqui Concolino Eun-Hee Ji
8:06
Pornanong Phatlum
Kim Kaufman
Mi Hyang Lee
8:17
Danielle Kang
Jodi Ewart Shadoff
Min Seo Kwak
8:28
Ji Young Oh
Thidapa Suwannapura
Jaye Marie Green
8:39
Rachel Rohanna
Laetitia Beck
Benyapa Niphatsophon
8:50 a.m.
Sarah Kemp
Daniela Iacobelli
Marion Ricordeau
9:01 a.m.
Lee Lopez
Min Lee
Giulia Molinaro
11:55 a.m.
Pavarisa Yoktuan
Yueer Cindy Feng
Cydney Clanton
12:06 p.m.
Joanna Klatten
Vicky Hurst
Meena Lee
12:17 p.m.
Bertine Strauss
Caroline Westrup
Allisen Corpuz
12:28 p.m.
Natalie Gulbis
Cheyenne Woods
Michelle Wie
12:39 p.m.
Brooke Henderson
In Gee Chun
Paula Creamer
12:50 p.m.
Suzann Pettersen
Ai Miyazato
Cristie Kerr
1:01 p.m.
Minjee Lee
Se Ri Pak
Hyo Joo Kim
1:12 p.m.
Megan Khang
Brittany Lang
Mo Martin
1:23 p.m.
Beatriz Recari
Yuting Shi
Demi Runas
1:34 p.m.
Samantha Richdale
Christine Song
Annie Park
1:45 p.m.
Julie Yang
Prima Thammaraks
Katie Burnett
1:56 p.m.
Cyna Marie Rodriguez
Moriya Jutanugarn
Nannette Hill
10th TEE
7 a.m.
Becky Morgan
Amy Anderson
Brittany Altomare
7:11 a.m.
Brianna Do
Alena Sharp
Wei-Ling Hsu
7:22 a.m.
Katherine Kirk
Giulia Sergas
Stephanie Kono
7:33 a.m.
Sarah Jane Smith
Tiffany Joh
Belen Mozo
7:44 a.m.
Lydia Ko
Sei Young Kim
Lexi Thompson
7:55 a.m.
Inbee Park
Lizette Salas
Ariya Jutanugarn
8:06 a.m.
Gaby Lopez
Brittany Lincicome
So Yeon Ryu
8:17 a.m.
Angela Stanford
Xi Yu Lin
Alison Lee
8:28 a.m.
Ani Gulugian
Casey Grice
Ayako Uyehara
8:39 a.m.
Maude-Aimee Leblanc
Haeji Kang
Sadena Parks
8:50 a.m.
Dewi Claire Schreefel
Ashlan Ramsey
Jiayi Zhou
9:01 a.m.
Sydnee Michaels
Budsabakorn Sukapan
Heather Bowie Young
11:55 a.m.
Jing Yan
Jane Rah
Julieta Granada
12:06 p.m.
Sandra Changkija
P.K. Kongkraphan
Karlin Beck
12:17 p.m.
Grace Na
Kelly Tan
Wichanee Meechai
12:28 p.m.
Hye Jin Choi
Linda Duncan
Alison Walshe
12:39 p.m.
Caroline Masson
Ryann O’Toole
Chella Choi
12:50 p.m.
Sun Young Yoo
Sakura Yokomine
Jenny Shin
1:01 p.m.
Shanshan Feng
Pernilla Lindberg
Mi Jung Hur
1:12 p.m.
Mika Miyazato
Lee-Anne Pace
Na Yeon Choi
1:23 p.m.
Nicole Jeray
Celine Herbin
Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras
1:34 p.m.
Kelly Shon
Ashleigh Simon
Dani Holmqvist
1:45 p.m.
Mina Harigae
Christel Boeljon
Lisa Ferrero
1:56 p.m.
Dori Carter
Holly Clyburn
Alejandra Llaneza