Hedwall seeks first LPGA win, leads in Canada
EDMONTON -- Caroline Hedwall of Sweden, riding the momentum of her record-setting performance in the Solheim Cup last week, shot 6-under-par 64 on Saturday at Royal Mayfair Golf Club to take a one-stroke lead in the CN Canadian Open.
The 24-year-old Hedwall, who has won eight times as a professional but never on the LPGA Tour, carded four birdies in the first six holes and added three more in a span of four holes through No. 15.
She made her only bogey at No. 8 and finished 54 holes at 10-under 200.
"I'm definitely on a roll," said Hedwall, who played college golf at Oklahoma State, winning the 2010 NCAA individual women's title. "I got a lot of confidence from last week and I'm playing really solid.
"I've won on the European (Ladies) Tour and I'm looking for my first on the LPGA Tour. I'm in great position for tomorrow and I know it will be exciting."
Hedwall, who became the first player in Solheim Cup history to record a 5-0 record as Europe routed the United States at Colorado Golf Club, finished one stroke ahead of Suzann Pettersen of Norway, who shot 65, and defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who posed a 67.
Ko, 16, the top-ranked amateur in the world who became the youngest winner in LPGA history last year by winning the Canadian Open at Vancouver Golf Club, held the lead Saturday until making bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes.
"One of the things I wanted to do coming off (Friday, when she shot 69) was grind it out and play a little better," said Ko, who captured the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour in February, her third victory in a pro event.
"I definitely did that on the front nine, but was disappointed to make two bogeys in a row on the back, and it was nice to make a birdie to get one of them back."
I.K. Kim of South Korea recorded a 65 and was tied for fourth, two strokes back, with Brittany Lincicome, who shot 66.
Inbee Park of South Korea, No. 1 player in the Rolex Women's World Rankings who was tied for the 36-hole lead with Cristie Kerr and seeking her seventh victory of the season, struggled to a 74 and slid to a tie for 15th.
Kerr posted a 75 that included a triple-bogey 7 on the 17th hole and a double-bogey 6 on the 18th, dropping her into a tie for 20th.
