Healthy Rosales matches par, trails leader by seven

Getting a clean bill of health, Jenny Rosales changed her mind and suited up for the Safeway International, matching par 72 only to find herself down in 42nd place as the fancied names on the LPGA Tour, led by Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and Swede ace Annika Sorenstam, came through with under-par cards at the start of the $1.4 million event at the Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club course in Arizona Friday (Saturday in Manila).

Rosales, who won the inaugural tournament for this year’s circuit in Mexico last month, played well and hit the ball solidly. But the 26-year-old shotmaker struggled on the sleek putting surface of the par-72 layout and settled for 72.

"She felt good when she woke up that’s why she decided to play," said Bong Lopez, Rosales’ swing coach and adviser. "She played and hit the ball well, kaso wala lang talaga pumasok na birdie-putts. Ang dami nyang chances pero ayaw talaga."

"Pero bukas sa tingin ko 5-under kami," added Lopez, who earlier said his ward was down with flu and was a doubtful starter in the event serving as a prelude to the tour’s first major — the Kraft Nabisco Championship — set next week at Rancho Mirage in California. "Sobrang bilis ng green kaya pag na-wrong side ka sa hole kahit malapit hindi mo ma-charge, laging padikit lang kasi nakakatakot pag lumagpas."

Ochoa gained more of them, seven, in fact as she shared the first round lead with Siew-Ai Lim with a 65, one stroke ahead of the most fancied player in the fold — Sorenstam who had a 66 for joint third with veteran campaigner Juli Inkster. — Dante Navarro