Compared with last week, the first round of the LPGA PING-Welch's Championship was a breeze for Beth Daniel.
"I went home last week to a hurricane and spent two days preparing and two days taking everything off," she said of her week at home in Delray Beach, Fla. "I was very lucky; it turned north at the last minute."But the rain and wind that accompanied Hurricane Erin limited her to hitting two buckets of balls all week, so she wasn't sure what to expect when she rejoined the tour Thursday.
It turned out to be a breeze.
On a sunny day with almost no wind, Daniel charged in with birdies on the last four holes for a 7-under par 65 that stood up until late in the day when Jane Geddes used a brilliant start to come in with the same score.
Others also had success attacking the Blue Hill County Club course as Julie Larsen posted a 66 and Colleen Walker a 67. Meg Mallon, Tammie Green, Jennifer Wyatt and Liselotte Neumann had 68s. Overall, 40 players beat par.
"It was my best ball-striking round this year," Daniel said of her round, and that's saying something. She has had three seconds, a tie for second and three other top 8 finishes this season as she seeks her 32nd career title.
"I hit all 18 greens and missed one fairway in the rough," she said.
After three birdies on the front nine, she used two pitching wedges to set up putts of 4 and 14 feet, a 9-iron to put her within 5 feet, and then 2-putted from 35 feet.
"It was definitely one of those days you'd like to keep going. I was playing steady, and then bang, bang, bang, bang," she said.
Geddes, who won this tournament in 1986 and '87, also liked the dry, calm weather that helped condition the course.