Paula Creamer
© AFP/Getty Images/File

SINGAPORE (AFP) - Creamer, 19, the LPGA Rookie of the Year, was incensed by Sorenstam's decision to take a drop from a hazard on the opening day of last month's one-million dollar LPGA Tour Championship in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Swede went on to claim victory.

Sorenstam appeared to make a peace offering to Creamer when she announced the duo were pairing up for an assault on the inaugural ladies match-play championship in Singapore, which tees off Friday.

"I like Paula a lot. I think for me to get a chance to play with her will be a lot of fun," Sorenstam said at a press conference ahead of the Lexus Cup, where she captains an international line-up against an all-star Asian team.

The duo find themselves in an intriguing battle against South Koreans Jeong Jang and Meena Lee on the opening day of the three-day tournament, with both sets of players their sides' respective top money leaders on the tour.

"We want to come out strong. I think when you get number one and number two on it's putting a statement so I'm looking forward to it," Sorenstam, 35, said.

When asked cheekily by a reporter if she thought Creamer would question the lie of the ball this time, Sorenstam responded with equal jest, saying: "I guess we'll find out."

The 720,000-dollar Lexus Cup, the first-of-its-kind ladies match-play event billed as the region's equivalent of the Solheim Cup, gets under way with 12 players on each side at Singapore's Tanah Merah Country Club on Friday.

© 2005 AFP. All rights of reproduction and distribution reserved. All information displayed on this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.