(Sports Network) - Angela Stanford, a two-time winner last year, fired a seven-under 65 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the SBS Open at Turtle Bay.

Stanford has a pair of big names one shot back.

Yani Tseng, the reigning McDonald's LPGA champion and Rookie of the Year, carded a six-under 66 to share second place with local favorite Michelle Wie, who birdied her final three holes to shoot 66 on the Palmer Course at the Turtle Bay Resort.

Kyeong Bae is alone in fourth at five-under 67, while Momoko Ueda is one stroke back at minus-four.

Stanford played the back nine first on Thursday and opened with a 10-foot birdie effort on her opening hole and made it two straight as she dropped in a four-footer for birdie on 11.

The 31-year-old rolled in a 15-foot birdie effort at 15 and made the turn at minus-four thanks to a three-footer for birdie on the par-five 18th.

Around the turn, Stanford drained a 20-foot birdie try from off the green on the par-five third. She parred the next three holes before making birdie on the seventh.

Stanford got up and down for birdie from a greenside bunker on the par-five ninth to secure the first-round lead.

"I've always kind of struggled playing this golf course," Stanford said. "So I really wanted to be more patient and be aware of the fact that I could shoot at some flags. So I feel like just starting out I was in the right frame of mind."

Tseng pitched her third on No. 3 within tap-in range for her first birdie. Two holes later, she kicked in another short birdie effort.

The Rookie of the Year two-putted for birdie at nine to turn in three-under. Tseng made it two straight with a birdie on the 10th.

Tseng sank a six-footer for birdie at 12 and moved to six-under with a tap-in birdie on the 14th. After missing the green on 17, Tseng could not get up and down for par.

At the par-five 18th, Tseng closed in style with a birdie to finish one back.

"I played very solid. My putting was pretty good," said Tseng. "I had seven birdies and one bogey. I'm very happy to come back here. I feel very comfortable. I'm very happy to come back and have a nice day today."

Wie birdied the first, but gave that stroke right back with a bogey on the second. She rebounded with a birdie on the third before parring her next four holes.

At the eighth, Wie ran home a 20-foot birdie putt to get to minus-two. She made it two straight with a 30-footer for birdie on No. 9. Wie tripped to a bogey on the 11th to fall back to minus-two.

Wie chipped her third at the par-five 12th within inches and kicked that in for birdie. She closed with a stellar run starting with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 16th.

She came right back with a 15-footer for birdie on 17 and made it three straight by draining an eight-foot birdie try at 18.

"I think I had a couple of shaky driver shots, but overall I played pretty solid," Wie said. "I made a couple of good putts, and I'm excited for the next two days. Every time I hit a good shot, I gained confidence a little bit, and I realized you don't gain confidence overnight. It's definitely a work-in- progress."

Juli Inkster carded a three-under 69 and she was joined in sixth place by Jimin Kang, Taylor Leon, Angela Park, In-Kyung Kim and Teresa Lu.

Paula Creamer, the 2007 champion, is one of 10 players tied for 12th at minus- two. Also among that group is Hee-Won Han, Laura Diaz and Cristie Kerr.







Copyright 2009 The Sports Network
All rights reserved

 Email To Friend