GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Paula Creamer badly wants to give a thumbs-up at the end of this weekend’s ShopRite LPGA Classic.
It’s been a while since the 23-year-old LPGA Tour star has been able to use her left thumb for anything, let alone gripping a golf club.
Wednesday’s pro-am round marked just the second time Creamer has played 18 holes since undergoing surgery in Birmingham, Ala., on March 30.
She says her thumb feels good, but won’t be completely healed for a long time.
The ShopRite Classic, which returns after a three-year hiatus and kicks off Friday, will give Creamer a chance to recapture some of the magic she first displayed at that same tournament in 2004. As a 17-year-old, Creamer finished tied for second behind Cristie Kerr, barely missing a chance to become the youngest winner of an LPGA tournament and the first amateur champion since 1969.
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