Jennifer Song off to a fast start

It’s been a bit of an up-and-down season so far for Jennifer Song, however, after she notched her best finish of the year a week ago at the LPGA Volvik Championship, a tie for 11th, she was clearing trending in the right direction.

She proved it Friday at the Shoprite LPGA Classic presented by ACER. Song, a decorated amateur, fired a bogey-free 6-under-par 65 to sit just one shot back of the lead held by Anna Nordqvist.

Song said the key to her success Friday was her putting.

“It was a bogey-free round and I made a lot of putts out there. I missed one short putt on 16 so kind of upset about that but overall, 6-under without a bogey, I’ll take that any day,” she said.

Over the past few weeks Song admitted she’s been working on her tempo, and getting into a better rhythm on the course has got her playing her best golf of the season so far.

“My timing has been kind of off so I was working on my tempo a lot, just making a little bit of an adjustment on it. It’s been great since then,” she explained. “I think (my tempo) is the hardest thing for me to fix because in general I have a very quick tempo. So, trying to slow myself down is a hard task for me. But I think I’m doing a good job.”

Song was the early leader for a good chunk of the morning before being leapfrogged by Nordqvist, who is the reigning two-time champion at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, and said because it’s a three-day event the quick start Friday was great.

“I think that’s why I love this event,” she said. “Crowds are great, food is great, so I’m just having a blast out there.”

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aula Creamer fires lowest round of the year

It hasn’t been the best of starts to 2017 for Paula Creamer, however, her 5-under-par 66 Friday at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club tied for her lowest round of the season so far, and, hopefully for Creamer, it’s a precursor for good play to come.

Creamer said local knowledge is important around the course, but, she explained, the changes in wind direction makes things difficult.

“A lot of local knowledge for sure helps around here. Just sticking with your game plan. It’s a relatively short course from what we normally play, so it puts a premium on hitting fairways and good wedges,” she said. “The thing that makes it tough is the wind. Yesterday was a completely opposite direction than today. You’ve got to be aware of that, and on some holes par is a great score.”

Creamer made four-straight birdies in the middle of her round and no bogeys. She sits two shots back of the lead held by Anna Nordqvist.

It’s likely Nordqvist will be on the European side for this year’s Solheim Cup, but for now, Creamer is on the outside looking in for the American side. Creamer said she’s more motivated than ever to make that team, and if she manages a victory sooner rather than later, that’ll get her onto the squad.

“I know my game is coming around, and I felt really positive and very strong with how it is. I can be on the Solheim Cup team if I win,” she said.

Moriya Jutanugarn goes low while younger sister Ariya has a chance for world No.1

With younger sister Ariya Jutanugarn with a chance to reach No.1 in the world by the time Sunday rolls around, it was elder sister Moriya who grabbed a few headlines Friday after firing a 6-under-par 65, sitting just one shot back of the lead at the Shoprite LPGA Classic presented by ACER.

Jutanugarn made no bogeys Friday and was 4-under-par on her first nine holes. Her best finish of the year came last week at the Volvik LPGA Classic so, like Jennifer Song, she is riding a nice wave of momentum.

She’s never won the LPGA Tour, but said she’s more so focused on playing well, rather than notching a victory.

“I just want to go out on the golf course and enjoy it, play my game,” she explained. “Of course like everybody I want to win the first tournament and it’s still my biggest goal, but I just want to focus on what I have to do out there.”

She points to the golf courses’ condition, and her putting, as the reasons for why she was able to get off to such a quick start.

“The golf course is in really good shape,” she said. “We played in the morning and the wind hasn’t really picked up yet and the greens weren’t that bumpy.”

Meanwhile, the only way that Ariya doesn’t reach No.1 in the Rolex Rankings this week is if So Yeon Ryu finishes third or better. Moriya said if Ariya reaches No.1 it would be big news in their native Thailand.

“We are really excited for it,” she said.

Jenny Shin just one shot back of the lead

South Korea’s Jenny Shin was battling allergies all day long Friday, but that didn’t stop her from firing a 6-under-par 65 to sit just one shot back of Anna Nordqvist’s day-one lead at the Shoprite LPGA Classic presented by ACER.

Shin made four-straight birdies on her front nine and said the key to her success was her putting, despite struggling through ‘really bad’ allergies.

“I putted better,” she said, “I think I had a little bit more confidence in my shots compared to last week and a few weeks before that. I tried to stick with my routine and it helped.”

Jennifer Song Off to a Fast Start, Moriya Jutanugarn Goes Low and more from New Jersey

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