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Matthew storms to share of LPGA lead after maternity leave

Annika Sorenstam of Sweden hits from the second tee during the first round of the LPGA Safeway International on Thursday in Superstition Mountain, Arizona, before play was halted by lightning. Scotland's Catriona Matthew and South Korean Young Jo share the lead in the tournament. PHOTO: AP

Scotland's Catriona Matthew returned from maternity leave in style on Thursday, firing a first-round 68 in the weather-disrupted LPGA Safeway International.

After a two-hour delay for a thunderstorm, the first round was suspended due to darkness.

At that stage, Matthew shared the lead with South Korea's Jo Young, a shot ahead of another Korean, Mi-hyun Kim, and Mexico's Lorena Ochoa.

Matthew gave birth to a daughter in December, but her focus on the course remained as strong as ever with a round of six birdies and two bogeys that left her tied with Jo.

The pair had to contend with very tricky, windy conditions, and were lucky to finish before the storm broke in mid-afternoon.

World No. 1 Annika Sorenstam had her round interrupted by the thunder and lightning. She was 1-over through 15 holes when play was halted.

Matthew, a two-time LPGA winner, opened with a birdie and had three more in the last five holes in an impressive performance in the Arizona desert.

"We had three days practicing in the heat so it was a bit of a shock to have such strong winds today," said Matthew, who said her main goal this season is to retain her place on Europe's Solheim Cup team.

"I haven't even played in a tournament since last August, so I was a little worried about how it would go today," she said. "But I've been hitting the ball well in practice."

"I'm lucky that Katie had her grandparents out here and she is proving to be a really good baby. [Husband] Graeme is still caddying for me so it's all working out very well," she said.

Sorenstam, a winner over the same course in 2004 and 2005, had an up-and-down day with the putter. She birdied the fourth but bogeyed the third and seventh.
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