Annika Sorenstam, who could barely talk, and Tracy Kerdyk, icing down her sore right hand, matched 5-under-par 67s Thursday to share the opening day lead in the Nabisco Dinah Shore, the LPGA's first major of the year.
Sorenstam, getting over the flu, had laryngitis. After her round, she could only whisper replies to reporters' questions.Kerdyk sprained ligaments around the knuckle of her right middle finger when her club stuck in the ground while she was practicing Tuesday. She had to skip the pro-am the next day and thought she might have to drop out of the tournament.
Despite their ailments, Sorenstam and Kerdyk were one shot ahead of three-time Dinah Shore champion Amy Alcott and Martha Nause after the first round at Mission Hills Country Club.
Sally Little, the Dinah Shore winner 14 years ago, was in a group at 3-under with Hollis Stacy, Kathy Guadagnino and Tracy Hanson.
Sorenstam, a 26-year-old from Sweden by way of the University of Arizona, is trying for her first LPGA win of 1996. The tour's player of the year and leading money-winner in 1995, she has played in two earlier events this year, finishing sixth at both Tucson and Phoenix.
"I'm usually a slow starter, so I'm very pleased with a low first round," she said. "I feel fine. I had the flu last week and other than no voice, I'm fine.
"It's my first time with laryngitis, and I can't communicate very well with my caddie."
Kerdyk, who has won just once since joining the tour in 1989, said she thought the hand injury might knock her out of the Dinah Shore.
"It was 50-50 whether I would be able to play or not," she said. "I couldn't bend my finger, but I went to the (physical therapy) trailer this morning and they worked on it, so I as able to bend it around a club."
Sorenstam had the benefit of an 8 a.m. tee time, so she had finished her round before the wind kicked up in the afternoon. Kerdyk teed off four hours later, but still managed to post her fine round despite the swirling, unpredictable gusts.
"The wind was blowing right, then left, then coming at us," she said. "It was pretty hard to read. I think I scored well because I did a pretty good job of picking the right club and sticking with it.
"With the wind blowing like it was, I was very happy with a 67.'
Liselotte Neumann of Sweden, who has won two of the five LPGA events played this year, shot an opening 73 in the Dinah Shore. Tour rookie Karrie Webb of Australia, who has one win and two seconds and tops the earnings list, shot a 72. Laura Davies of England, coming off a victory last weekend at Phoenix, also matched par.
Defending champion Nanci Bowen, whose win last year is the only one of her four-year tour career, struggled to a 76.
The winner of the $900,000 tournament will earn $135,000.