Paula Creamer warms up with beatdown

Pitchers and catchers are reporting to Major League Baseball camps, but Paula Creamer went through her own version of Spring Training this week.

With the beginning of her 2013 LPGA Tour season not scheduled for another couple of weeks, the Pink Panther decided to knock some of the rust off by playing in a Suncoast Ladies Series event this week. The 54-hole event kicked off on Monday, and this afternoon Creamer wrapped up an 11-stroke victory.

''The reason I played is I'm not going to Australia next week, and I wanted to get a scorecard in my hand and get a tournament under my belt before starting the LPGA season, '' Creamer told the Golf Channel. ''It was a good golf course,'' she said of host venue Orange Tree Golf Club in Orlando.

The 2013 LPGA Tour season begins next week at the the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open. Creamer is planning to start her campaign the following week at the Honda LPGA Thailand event.

Creamer pocketed a check for $2,100 for her victory. She led by five after the second round, then closed with a 65 to establish her 11-shot victory margin.

Despite the beatdown, Creamer's presence was a positive for her young competitors, said Suncoast Ladies Series Director Scott Walker.

''It's nice to see a player of her stature in our event, '' he told the Golf Channel. ''It's good for the players who aren't as established to play with her and see how they compare.''