ANNIKA FEELING THE HURST SORENSTAM TRAILS BY FOUR STROKES.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

Annika Sorenstam got a feel Thursday for what the rest of the LPGA has been enduring since early March: trying to play catch-up.

The standout from Sweden, who leads the 2001 tour in earnings, scoring, victories and headlines, arrived at Wilshire Country Club and found herself chasing the field from her first swing.

That opening drive, pulled into the left rough, started the descent to an opening double bogey that eventually left her as much as seven strokes behind first-round leader Pat Hurst in the Office Depot hosted by Amy Alcott.

Hurst finished with a tournament-best seven birdies in a round of 67 that was good for a two stroke lead over Marnie McGuire, Dina Ammaccapane, Michelle McGann and Kristi Albers (all 69). Five others were tied at 70 and another group of nine was packed at 71 - including Sorenstam.

``It's not a role I like, really,'' she said of playing catch-up - something she did well enough Thursday to improve from 76th to a tie for 11th.

Sorenstam hasn't needed much rallying lately. She has won her past three starts, setting LPGA records for 9, 18, 36, 54 and 72 holes and single- round birdies at last month's Standard Register Ping, where her second-round 59 electrified the tour.

But it was Hurst who had the hot hand Thursday, rolling in birdies 9- from 20, 15, 4, 6, 4, 20 and 4 feet to take and hold the lead in a 54-hole tournament that will conclude Saturday.

She said placement of approach shots was vital on Wilshire's sloped and speedy greens.

``It's definitely very important,'' Hurst said. ``You have to keep it short and below the hole because you do not want to putt downhill.''

Neither do you want to stray far from the fairway with tee shots, according to McGann, who took her driver out of the bag to give herself a better chance of hitting and holding fairways.

``I didn't want to be tempted to use it at all,'' said McGann, who drove with her 3-wood and 5-wood all day. ``It turned out to be a good game plan, but it was a long day out there.''

The day ended a lot earlier for New Zealander McGuire - because of a favorable 8:10 a.m. starting time that was more than four hours earlier than McGann's first-tee time. But the Kiwi from Aukland came away with the same respect for Wilshire's potential problems.

``You've really got to drive well,'' McGuire said. ``Hit your ball straight and keep it in the fairway. Positioning on these greens is so important. ... Sometimes, when you think you've hit a bad shot, it's OK to if you leave it short with a 25-footer rather than coming downhill.''

Like McGann, McGuire managed four birdies against a lone bogey and came away happy with her focus on an old-style course she doesn't see often on tour.

``You have to think out there, you can't fall asleep,'' McGuire said. ``You really have to stay in it for the full 18 holes.''

Ammaccapane, another early starter who used the four-birdie/one-bogey ratio to stay near the lead, said her 9 a.m. tee time worked to her advantage.

``The greens were softer and not as bumpy as they are in the afternoon,'' Ammaccapane said. ``You still have to hit shots no matter what time of day, but I felt good about when I played.''

Sorenstam could appreciate that sentiment, seeing a different course from her noon tee-time perspective than the one McGuire assessed as ``very scoreable out there.''

``A lot happened with my score today,'' Sorenstam said. ``The course played tough and especially having an afternoon tee time, the wind increased and the greens were bumpier. The wind was swirling on many of the holes and it played very tricky.''

The experience might be needed, since she'll tee off near noon again today as the result of her rally that got her within four strokes of the lead.

Regardless, Sorenstam exited the course Thursday pleased with her placement, considering her rocky start.

``I would like to be in a little better position,'' she said. ``But I'm happy where I am.''

Her thoughts on what score might win this inaugural LPGA trek to Wilshire?

``If Pat Hurst shoots 5-under in the first round, then that is a great start,'' Sorenstam said. ``If I am 7-under par Saturday, then that will be a good finish.''

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John McCoy/Staff Photographer

In a difficult first hole, Annika Sorenstam blasts out of a sand trap and takes a double bogey Thursday at Wilshire Country Club.