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May 12--WILLIAMSBURG -- That Morgan Pressel brought a laptop computer this week isn't unusual .
But Pressel's reason for bringing it probably is .
"I have a book review in world religions on a book called 'River Sutra' that we just read, and I have a term paper ..." Pressel said, continuing to reel off the list of homework assignments she has this week.
Never mind the professional golf tournament with a $2.2 million purse that she's trying to win. Pressel, the 17-year-old phenom, has always had to contend with school and golf. Final exams are upon her, and graduation looms.
"It's ridiculous, because every other time I've gone away, I've had a little bit of time to make things up," Pressel said. "But when I get back, I have to have everything done by Wednesday. ... I hope to do well on my finals, but I don't think I'm going to drive myself crazy studying for them."
Why would she? Not even old enough to vote, Pressel has already won more than $100,000 this season.
She can be forgiven a little typical teenage procrastination, even if such concerns are atypical of most players on tour.
"I've started" the assignments, Pressel said. "Start being the key word."
Well-studied in the game of golf, Pressel shot a 73 in Thursday's first round.
Thanks, but that wasn't really a nice shot
Southern hospitality is one thing, but applauding poor golf is neither southern nor hospitable. Tour veteran Beth Daniel discovered that Thursday.
After hitting her tee shot into the rough on No. 9 , Daniel had to shoo away curious fans, advising them "you need to move back, unless you want to get hit in the head."
Her second shot was a low, ugly push out to the right, which landed in a greenside bunker. An unknowing fan shouted to her cheerfully, "nice out!"
To which Daniel scoffed: "Yeah, right. That was real pretty."
Unfortunately, she did not get a mulligan
Na Ri Kim, a rookie from South Korea, proved Thursday that even pros sometimes can play like hackers .
Kim's first seven holes went like this: bogey-bogey-bogey-par-double bogey-double bogey.
By the turn, she had a 9-over-par 44.
The other Sorenstam continues to struggle
Move over Tito Jackson. Charlotta Sorenstam is the newest celebrity sib ling straggler. Or struggler.
The younger sister of the world's greatest female golfer, Charlotta is -- as she often does -- playing at Kingsmill on a sponsor's exemption.
Annika Sorrenstam has 67 career victories, nine of them majors, and almost $19 million in career earnings. Little Sis has one win (six years ago) and about $1.5 million in career earnings.
This season, Annika has made $475,000. Charlotta has pulled in slightly more than $2,000 .
Thursday, the younger sibling piled up five bogeys, four after the turn, to shoot a 5-over 76.
Creamer discovers a watering hazard
One moment 19-year-old Paula Creamer's tee shot was descending toward the flagstick at the par-3 second hole. The next, her ball was bounding crazily across the green after landing on a sprinkler head just short of the green.
Chipping from the fringe, Creamer failed to get up and down and bogeyed. However, she got the shot back with a birdie on No. 3, then finished at 1-under after a birdie on No. 9, her last hole.
"I couldn't hit any better shot than that; I was thinking it was going to be all over it," Creamer said of No. 2. "There just happened to be three sprinkler heads sitting there. What are you gonna do? I haven't seen that happen. Normally they cover it up, the sprinklers."
Defending champ isn't happy with first round
Though her 69 has her tied for eigh th, defending champion Cristie Kerr was fuming over lost strokes, notably a blown par putt from 2 feet on No. 18, her ninth hole.
"I just misjudged the speed," said Kerr, grouped again today in a threesome with leader Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam. "And I just don't like making stupid mistakes."
Kerr's score, however, was just one shot off the 68 she opened with last year. She actually shot 68 her first three rounds a year ago.
Traveling day care helps moms worry about golf
Consistency is important not only for LPGA players, but for their children, too.
More than 20 LPGA mothers use a day care/pre-school service -- the Smucker's Band-Aid Child Development Center -- that travels with the tour and provides peace of mind to moms such as 11-year veteran Pat Hurst, who shot 68 Thursday.
"They try to set us up with the same people every week," said Hurst, who has a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter. "And it's the same kids every week, so that's what they're used to.
"For me, it works out well. I can have Reilly and Jackson in there when I'm out playing, and when I'm done, I can be mom."
Tap-ins â?¦
International food for thought: This week's field includes six players with the last name Kim, plus five Lees, two Kangs, two Parks and a Pak. ... Plans to offer fans the opportunity to rent a hand-held device called myLeaderboard that would have provided real-time information from throughout the course have been canceled.
--JIM DUCIBELLA, KYLE TUCKER, SCOTT HARPER AND TOM ROBINSON.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.
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