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Golfers from Asia making impact at the British Open

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng watches her drive from the seventh tee during the second round of the British Open at Sunningdale golf course in Surrey, England, yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

With as many South Koreans as Americans in the field, and a smattering of Japanese and Taiwanese, Asia’s bid for the Women’s British Open is stronger than ever.

Although US veteran Juli Inkster took the lead with a 7-under 65, the opening round underlined the notion that when the Silver Cup is presented to the winner on Sunday night, it may go to an Asian player for the first time since South Korea’s Jeong Jang in 2005.

The group of seven sharing second place one shot behind Inkster includes two South Koreans and two Japanese along with two more Americans and an English player.

None played more spectacularly than Momoko Ueda, a tiny Japanese who has exempt status on the US Tour this year for the first time and who is playing this major for the first time.

Opening with birdies on the par-5 Nos. 1 and 2, she topped that with eagles on Nos. 9 and 10. She drove the green at the 273-yard 9th and holed a 20-foot putt, then reached the green in two at the 459-yard 10th and sank another 20-footer for a three.

And all of that was in the notable company of 10-time major champion Annika Sorenstam, which did nothing to unnerve the unflappable Ueda until problems at Nos. 13 and 14 led to bogeys that cost her the outright lead.

The other Japanese right up there is Yuri Fudoh, who also shot a 66 while playing with defending champion Lorena Ochoa.

Fudoh had eight birdies against two bogeys with guidance from her regular caddie at this event, Peter Coleman, who for many years guided the fortunes of Bernhard Langer.

Yani Tseng (曾雅妮), who became the first Taiwanese winner of a major when she captured the LPGA Championship in June, opened with a 70 that began with an eagle at the long first hole. She looked like being up near the leaders until a double bogey at the 16th.

Of the 31 South Koreans in the field, those at the forefront of the chase with 66s were Shin Ji-jai and Oh Ji-young. Shin sizzled on the easier front nine of the 6,408-yard Sunningdale Course, making five birdies against one bogey.

She only cooled slightly on the back nine, with three birdies and just her second bogey on the card.

Oh played the front nine in one under. But she scorched around the back with six birdies and a 31 for her 66 total.

■RENO-TAHOE OPEN

AFP, RENO, NEVADA

Jeff Overton barreled into the lead with a 65 and Michelle Wie shot an opening 73 in the first round of the US$3 million PGA Reno-Tahoe Open golf tournament on Thursday.

Wie, who aspires to one day play full-time on the men’s tour, shot a one-over par 73 while Overton fired a seven-under 65 at the Montreux Golf and Country Club.

Wie was given an exemption to the tournament which includes few big name players from the men’s tour.

Most of the top players are competing this week at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio which has 47 of the top 50 players in the world in the field.

The women are at the season’s final major — the British Open — which Wie failed to qualify for.

This is her eighth PGA Tour event and she is seeking to make her first cut.

Wie got off to a rocky start with a bogey at the first hole and then dropped another shot at the fifth. She made birdie on No. 6 and 17 before finishing at one-over and in a tie for 77th.

Wie is eight shots adrift of Overton, who got off to a fast start and finished with eight birdies and a bogey.

Harrison Frazar, Brian Davis, Marco Dawson and John Merrick are tied for second at five-under 67. A group of 13 players are at four-under.

Wie is zero-for-seven on the PGA Tour as far as making it to the weekend and this latest foray against the men has been met with much criticism.

Wie likely will need to be around even-par after the second round to make the cut.