OCALA, Fla. – Ha Na Jang went from qualifier to leader in just a few days at the LPGA season opener.

And it surprised no one.

The 22-year-old South Korean, ranked 21st in the world, shot a 7-under 65 in the second round of the Coates Golf Championship on Thursday and opened up a four-shot lead over Stacy Lewis heading into the third round.

Jang has full status on the LPGA Tour. But because the opener isn’t a full-field event, she had to qualify last Saturday. Her extra time at Golden Golf & Ocala Equestrian Club certainly paid dividends. She made one bogey in two rounds, and responded to that miscue with birdies on two of the next three holes.

“I hope to play well these next two days so people get to know who I am,” Jang said through an interpreter.

The start of the second round was delayed 90 minutes because of frost, and the interruption prevented 50 players from completing 18 holes. They will return Friday morning to finish.

Jang might not want to wait to get back on the course. She sank a curl-in, 25-footer on her final hole in near-dark conditions to get to 12-under 132.

Although Jang is technically a rookie, she has plenty of experience. Her best LPGA finish was third in the 2014 Evian Championship last year. She also won six tournaments in five seasons on the KLPGA Tour and finished tied for 42nd at the Korean Women’s Open as a 12-year-old.

Lewis, one of three players to shoot 66 in the opening round, was 8 under heading into Friday’s third round.

“I just didn’t play quite as well today,” said Lewis, the first American since Betsy King in 1993 to sweep the Rolex player of the year award, the Vare Trophy and the money list title last season.

World No. 2 Lydia Ko and Azahara Munoz were five back at 7 under. So were Angela Stanford and Austin Ernst, but they had holes to finish.

“I was super rusty,” said Ko, who played with her left thumb taped. “For a moment, I didn’t even know if I would be able to play … I had zero feel. It’s kind of good that it’s back to normal. I tried to work hard in the three weeks I had to prepare for this.”

Much of the attention – the opener drew big crowds in horse country – was focused on players off the leaderboard.

Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, likely made the cut. She birdied No. 18th to get to 4 over, which is expected to be safe. Woods is playing her first tournament with full-time status, although she got in on a sponsor’s exemption because she didn’t have enough priority to make the 120-player field.

“It’s definitely important for me to play well this week and get started off good,” Woods said.

Woods would be in much better shape if not for the par-4 13th, one of eight tribute holes at Golden Ocala. No. 13 resembles the 17th at St. Andrews, the Road Hole, and it’s gotten the best of Woods in two rounds. She’s 3 over on No. 13, including a double-bogey Thursday.

“That hole kicked my butt this week,” she said. “If I play it (Friday), I’m definitely going to get revenge on it.”

Paula Creamer had no trouble with the par-3 sixth, a replica of No. 16 at Augusta National. Using a 5-iron from 162 yards, Creamer notched her second ace in tour play.

It didn’t come with any bonus gifts, though.

“I made my hole-in-one at Augusta,” she said. “I go, `Where’s my car?’ But I guess having a hole-in-one at Augusta is better than a car. … That’s why you play. You play for that perfect moment.”

Reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie rebounded from even par in the first round with a 2-under 70 on Thursday.

“A lot of stupid mistakes,” Wie said. “But at the same time, you know, I just felt like it’s kind of good to get it out of the way. You make the mistakes and `OK, I’m not going to do that next time.’ … Just stupid errors here and there, but I’m excited for the weekend.”

Wie is a stroke back of Canada’s Alena Sharp. The Hamilton, Ont. native carded a 69 today and sits tied for 14th at 3-under.

OCALA, Fla. – Jessica Korda pulled a hand warmer out of each jacket pocket, showing just how cold she was during the opening round of the LPGA opener.

Her scoreboard told a much different story.

The 21-year-old American shot a 6-under 66 in the opening round of the Coates Golf Championship on Wednesday and was in a three-way tie with fellow American Stacy Lewis and Azahara Munoz of Spain. All three teed off in windy conditions and finished in chilly temperatures just before dark.

“I can’t feel my fingers right now,” Korda said.

She might be in for more of the same Thursday morning, with temperatures expected to be the mid- to late-30s for the early tee times.

Twenty players failed to complete the opening round at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, which boasts eight tribute holes from famed courses around the world. They will finish up beginning at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, just before Korda, Lewis and Munoz tee off in the second round.

Only 26 of 120 players were under par when play was halted.

American Austin Ernst and Ha Na Jang of South Korea finished at 5 under, one stroke ahead of New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi. Nineteen-year-old American Lexi Thompson and Mi Jung Hur of South Korea were 3 under.

Top-ranked Inbee Park was 1 under, one shot ahead of reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie. Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, was 4 over through 17 holes.

Ernst was maybe the most surprising name on the leaderboard. She hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and made just about every putt inside of 10 feet.

“I’ve had rounds in the past where you’ve hit it close and then you can’t get anything to go in,” Ernst said. “But today everything was going in so I was really confident with everything.”

Korda, Lewis and Munoz were feeling it, too.

Korda straightened out an errant driver on the front nine and birdied six of her final 13 holes. Considering she’s won two of the last three LPGA season openers – in Australia in 2012 and in the Bahamas last year – starting fast is nothing new.

“I just feel like I’m refreshed and ready to go,” she said. “I try and bring the mentality with me all the time, every time I try to play, but for some reason it just shines brighter the first event of the season. Honestly, I don’t know what it is about it. I’m just happy to be back. It’s so much fun. It’s like the first day of school; you’re always happy to be back the first week of school.”

Lewis birdied five of her final six holes, the last coming on an uphill, 6-footer just after the horn blew.

“I stayed patient out there,” Lewis said. “Finally, on the back nine, I got more comfortable with being back playing again and just started hitting golf shots. It was a good day. I almost wish we didn’t have darkness and I could keep going since I finally got into a rhythm there. “

Munoz was solid throughout, hitting 17 of 18 greens in regulation, and closed with consecutive birdies to make it a three-way tie at the top. The only green she missed was at the par-4 13th, her approach shot coming up just a few feet short and rolling off the front.

“I gave myself a lot of opportunities and I made them, too,” she said. “If I didn’t hit a really good shot, I made a couple nice 5-, 6-footers for par, so that was nice.”

Canada’s Alena Sharp, the lone Canadian in the field, opened with an even-par 72.

This August, The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. will play host to the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Despite the annual event being seven months away, preparations are well underway to handle the logistics behind running an event of this magnitude. Jay Janower of Global BC caught up with Brent McLaughlin, tournament director, CP Women’s Open and Golf Canada’s managing director, rules, competitions and amateur status to see what it takes to stage the championship.

Looking to shake off a disappointing 2014 campaign, Rebecca Lee-Bentham has been working hard in the off-season to ensure she puts up more consistent results in 2015.

“Overall, 2014 wasn’t a great season for me, as I struggled through many weeks, physically and mentally,” admitted the 22-year-old who made the cut in only seven out of her 17 LPGA tournaments last season.

As a result of her inconsistency, at the conclusion of the 2014 LPGA campaign, Lee-Bentham was left with conditional status for 2015.

Looking to improve on that, she entered the final stage of LPGA Q-school last December in hopes of finishing in the top-20 to regain her full status.

Despite recording a 2-under par and being the top Canadian born player in the field, the Toronto native finished in a tie for 28^th and just missed out on her goal.

“I thought I played well in Q-school…….I just didn’t putt the way I needed to and missed out on full status by a couple shots,” she said.

So unlike her previous three seasons on the LPGA tour, Lee-Bentham explains that she will have to work a little harder to gain entry into certain tournaments.

“Since I have conditional status, I will most likely be on the alternate list for the first few events of the year. The Coates Golf Championship in Ocala is the first tournament on the LPGA calendar which I will try to qualify for if I don’t make it in through the alternate list,” she pointed out.

As the 22-year-old Canadian prepares for the LPGA season opener which runs January 26-31, she is grateful to have the support of Golf Canada through the Young Pro Program.

An important member of that Golf Canada support team is Tristan Mullally, the head coach of the Canadian national women’s team.

“We support her in her travels and her day-to-day expenses; and Rebecca’s also got a great coaching staff that provides her with full support throughout the year,” he noted about the benefits of the program.

Having kept a close eye on Lee-Bentham’s progression, Mullally expects the young golfer to play closer to her potential this season.

“I’m excited about 2015 for Rebecca because up to now she’s underachieved and I think she’s about to make a move forward this year,” he said.

Lee-Bentham has been training long hours each day in Florida over the winter in order to fine tune all areas of her game.

Mullally was eager to point out the strengths in Lee-Bentham’s game that make her one of the country’s top professional golfers.

“Rebecca’s a tremendously consistent striker of the golf ball; she’s someone who regularly hits 15 or 16 greens out of 18 and she has a strong short game to go with that,” he noted. “And you can see that she’s getting better and her game is moving in the right direction.”

While she had her fair share of struggles in 2014, there were a few highlights – including the Marathon Classic last July in Sylvania, Ohio.

“My best finish was at the Marathon Classic,” recalled Lee-Bentham who finished in a tie for 12^th place. “I learned a lot that week, experiencing what it felt like and what I needed to do to be on top of a leader board.”

According to the winner of that tournament, Lydia Ko, the young Canadian golfer is doing the right things to be able to put up results like she did in Ohio on a consistent basis this year.

“I think Rebecca is a great player,” said the 17-year-old phenom from New Zealand. “What really impresses me about Rebecca is that she is one of the first players to come out to the course in practice and she is also one of the last ones to leave. She is a really hard working player.”

The five time LPGA tour winner was also quick to point out the importance of the mental aspect of the game.

“Rebecca has a great personality and whenever I see her, she has a smile on her face,” Ko added. “Having confidence and also having fun are one of the most important parts of the game; and that’s what I try to work on too.”

Lee-Bentham agrees with both Ko and Mullally and believes she is capable of playing with far more consistency this season.

Having put in extra work in the off-season, the 22-year-old Canadian understands the key to a successful season ahead will be to maintain a positive mental approach and make the most of each opportunity.

“I want to focus on staying in the present; each tournament, each round, each shot,” said Lee-Bentham.

“I want to be able to say that I gave it all I got,” she added. “That’s all I can really do, and the results in 2015 will take care of itself.”

SYDNEY – Eight-time LPGA Tour winner Rachel Hetherington is returning to professional golf after a four-year retirement.

Australian Ladies Professional Golf said in a statement on Sunday that the 42-year-old Australian started working with a new coach, Randall Hollands Smith, last April.

Hetherington will play the Australian circuit, and hopes to compete in the Australian Ladies Masters and the Women’s Australian Open over the next two months.

She has no plans to return to the LPGA Tour, saying: “I would miss family and clients too much.”

The Australian won $5.7 million in prize money during her LPGA Tour career. Three of her titles came in playoffs over former No. 1 Annika Sorenstam.

Daytona, Fla. — Soo-Bin Kim could not carry over the momentum from her 65 a day earlier, but still earned fully exempt status on the 2015 LPGA Tour after carding a 3-over 75 in the final round of LPGA Q School Sunday.

The Coquitlam, B.C. resident struggled on the back nine of LPGA International’s Hills Course, going four-over par in her final four holes.  However, her eight birdies proved to be enough to keep her in the Top 20 and ensure her LPGA card for next season.

She finished the week in a tie for 11^th at -5.

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham shot a 73 in Sunday’s finale and finished in a tie for 28^th with an overall score of -2 for the week.  Although she did not finish in the Top 20, the 2011 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion was able to secure conditional status on the 2015 circuit by finishing in the Top 45.

Failing to earn a spot for the 2015 tour were Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C. (+5, T58) and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke Que (+5, T64).

Daytona, Fla. — Soo-Bin Kim tied for low-round of the day and improved 29 spots with a masterful 7-under 65 at the LPGA qualifying final on Saturday, easily advancing to Sunday’s finale after the field narrowed to 70 golfers at +2.

The Coquitlam, B.C. resident made eight birdies in her penultimate round, including three on the last four holes, to jump into a five-way tie for 9th overall at -8.

Canadian-born golfers Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Samantha Richdale and Maude-Aimee Leblanc will join Kim for Sunday’s final at the LPGA International Hills Course.

Toronto’s Lee-Bentham, the 2011 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, continued her solid play from earlier this week, carding an unblemished 2-under 70 and advancing into 32^nd place.

Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., who began the day in 11^th place, struggled in Rd. 4, making three bogeys and a double on her front nine en route to a 5-over 77, but still survived the field’s contraction.  She will tee off on Sunday tied for 54^th.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., who started Saturday’s round just outside of the cut line, played her way back into contention with a 2-under 70.  She finished in a tie for 68^th, one stroke ahead of the cutline.

Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. (T72), Augusta James of Bath, Ont. (T80) and Brittany Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont. (T80) all narrowly failed to advance by two strokes or less.

Also unable to qualify for Sunday’s final was Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-Sur-Le-Lac, Que. (T99), who fell more than 50 spots on Saturday after going 7-over par on her final nine holes of the day.

Other Canadians in the field this week were Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane (T103), Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont. (T109), Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. (T117) and Brogan McKinnon of Mississauga, Ont. (T137).

Daytona, Fla. — Kelowna’s Samantha Richdale could not ride the momentum of her 2^nd round 66, carding a 2-over 74 at the LPGA final qualifier on Friday.

The Calgary native only made two bogeys during her round, but was unable to record a birdie after draining eight at LPGA International one day earlier.  She will begin play on Saturday in a tie for 11th overall.

Tied for 34th spot are Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Soo-Bin Kim, a resident of Coquitlam, B.C.  Lee-Bentham improved 10 spots with her round of 71, while Kim dropped nine places after shooting a 1-over 73, her first round of over par golf this week.

Just a few spots back of Lee-Bentham and Kim are Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-Sur-Le-Lac, Que. (T40) and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. (T48).

Augusta James, a native of Bath, Ont. and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que. finished in a tie for 78th at +4, while Ontario natives Jennifer Kirby (Paris) and Brittany Henderson (Smiths Falls) share the 92nd position.

Brogan McKinnon of Mississauga, Ont. (T111) and Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont. (T128) both shot 74s in their 3rd rounds, while Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane improved 11 spots into a tie for 134th with a 1-under 73.

Daytona, Fla. — Samantha Richdale played stellar golf at the LPGA final qualifier Thursday, carding the second best round of the day with an impressive 6-under par 66.

The Kelowna, B.C. native made eight birdies on the difficult LPGA International track and leapfrogged 18 spots into a tie for 3rd at -7.

Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. and Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham finished their second rounds tied for 39^th at even par.

Kim posted a 73 to fall back one shot, while Lee-Bentham, who was in 8^th place when the day began, carded a 2-over 74 after an opening round 70.

Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-Sur-Le-Lac, Que. also shot a 74 and currently sits tied for 48^th position, three strokes ahead of Bath, Ont.’s Augusta James, who captured the Canadian Women’s Amateur title earlier this year. Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont., Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que. and Brogan McKinnon of Mississauga, Ont. are all tied for the 103^rd spot at +5

Smith Falls, Ont. native Brittany Henderson improved 20 spots thru 36-holes with a score of 74. She is currently a single stroke ahead of Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont. (+8) and three ahead of Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane (+10).

Daytona, Fla. — After the opening round of the LPGA qualifying final, Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham is the top Canadian on the leaderboard.

The 2011 Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion posted a 2-under 70 at LPGA International on Wednesday and will enter Rd. 2 in an eight-way tie for 8th spot.

Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-Sur-Le-Lac, Que., Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C. and Soo-Bin Kim, a resident of Coquitlam, B.C. all carded 1-under 71s in their opening rounds and are well within contention, tied for 24th place.

Seven other Canadians are also in the fold this week, trying to gain membership to the 2015 LPGA circuit.

Brogan McKinnon of Mississauga, Ont. began her week with a 3-over 75, while 2014 Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion Augusta James of Bath, Ont. joined Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que. at +4, after all three recorded rounds of 76.

Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. posted a 77 to begin her week, one stroke better than Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane and Brantford, Ont. native Nicole Vandermade, who began the final week of Q School with 78s.