Defending champion Suzann Pettersen didn’t last long at the Sybase Match Play Championship, and neither did three well-known Americans.
Korea’s Shin Ji-yai watches her tee shot on the second hole on Thursday. (AP-Yonhap News)
The third-ranked Pettersen was eliminated 3 and 1 by relative unknown Jodi Ewart of England on Thursday in the first round of the LPGA Tour event, while Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome and Michelle Wie lost to some equally obscure fellow Americans.
Creamer, the No. 8 seed, was beaten 2 and 1 by Jennifer Johnson, the No. 57 seed. No. 9 seed Lincicome was ousted 2 and 1 by No. 56 Ryann O’Toole. The 20th-seeded Wie was knocked out by No. 45 Mina Harigae, 3 and 2.
Yani Tseng, Choi Na-yeon and Cristie Kerr, the world’s Nos. 1, 2 and 5 players, respectively, barely advanced to the second round, while the day ended with No. 4-ranked Ai Miyazato of Japan being surprised 2-up by Mariajo Uribe of Colombia in the final match at Hamilton Farm Golf Club.
“It’s not an easy course to play,” said Tseng, who escaped with a 1-up win after Jang Jeong missed a 6-foot birdie attempt to force a playoff. “This is the top 64, that’s why we play here. So I mean, you cannot expect the first one is going to be easy to win.”
Korea’s Shin Ji-yai watches her tee shot on the second hole on Thursday.(AP-Yonhap News)
However, it was still surprising to see the field lose a ton of its star attractions, with the biggest surprise being the loss of Pettersen to Ewart, who is ranked No. 202 in the world and 62nd in the event.
What made the exit even more surprising was Pettersen, still looking for her first win of the season, won the first two holes to go 2-up.
Ewart even had doubts after her shaky start.
“After No. 2 I was like, I am going to get absolutely thrashed,” Ewart said.
Ewart calmed down after making a par at the third hole and then made a long birdie putt at the next hole after getting a read off Pettersen’s birdie attempt. A 7-footer for birdie tied the match at the fifth hole, and it was game on.
Ewart took the lead for good at No. 12 when Pettersen conceded the hole and followed that with a tap-in birdie at No. 13. Pettersen won the 14th when Ewart three-putted, but the 24-year-old made a 10-footer at No. 15 to halve the hole and restored her 2-up lead with a short birdie at No. 16. She closed out the match at No. 17 when Pettersen conceded after missing a birdie putt.