After Rough Start, Whaley Has a Blast

Fears that Suzy Whaley would have the worst score in the opening round of the Greater Hartford Open were unfounded.

That distinction belonged to slumping David Duval.

Making her much-heralded appearance on the PGA Tour, Whaley shot a respectable but ultimately-out-of-contention five-over-par 75 on Thursday in Cromwell, Conn. That was good enough to win over the hometown galleries but not the 137 men ahead of her on the leaderboard.

“I am extremely proud of the way I played. I’m proud of the way I hung in there,” said Whaley, the first woman to qualify for a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias in 1945. “I had more fun than I thought I would. It was harder than I thought it would be, which is hard to believe, but the experience was absolutely more than I could have ever imagined.”

Whaley made a double-bogey on the first hole but then settled down and recorded her only birdie of the day on No. 18. After her 37-foot putt from the fringe banged in off the pin, she raised her arms triumphantly and slapped hands with her caddie.

The putt brought roars from the gallery and smiles to the faces of her playing partners, even though it meant one of them, Anthony Painter, would finish below her. That put him in the company of 12 other men -- including Duval, the 13-time tour winner and 2001 British Open champion who shot 83, and 1987 U.S. Open winner Scott Simpson, who shot 77.

Peter Jacobsen and Jay Haas led the tournament at seven-under, with Dennis Paulson one stroke behind.

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Rosie Jones closed with two birdies to shoot a four-under 68 and take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Evian Masters in France.

Defending champion Annika Sorenstam struggled to a 73 and was tied for 34th place at one-over 145.

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Esther Choe of La Quinta won two matches to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur championship at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn.

Choe will play Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff of Toms River, N.J., this morning. The winner advances to a semifinal this afternoon. Wuesthoff eliminated Jane Park of Oak Valley, 4 and 2, in the third round. Amie Cochran of Torrance also advanced to the third round, where she lost, 4 and 3, to Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif.

Defending champion In-Bee Park of Eustis, Fla., won her third-round match, 1 up, over Marina Choi of Los Angeles, but favorite Michelle Wie of Honolulu fell in the third round, 3 and 2, to Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla.

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James Lee of Indio beat Adam Cohan of Wayne, Pa., 6 and 4, to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur championship at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md.

Seann Harlingten of Rancho Mirage fell in the third round, 1 down, to Patton Kizzire of Tuscaloosa, Ala.