ST ANDREWS, Scotland - World number one Lorena Ochoa of Mexico fired a six-under-par 67 to lead the Women's British Open golf championship by two shots after the first round on Friday (NZ time).
The 25-year-old from Guadalajara, bidding to win her first major, kept out of the
bunkers and didn't have a bogey over the Old Course at St Andrews.
Sweden's Louise Friberg and South Korean Park In-Bee are two behind with Japan's Ai Miyazato and Britain's Rebecca Hudson a shot further back.
Annika Sorenstam, who lost her top ranking to Ochoa this season, was one of the later starters and had to deal with a tough breeze.
But the 10-time major winner battled to a one under 72.
"I love my start," said Ochoa, who had been up at 5am for her early tee-time.
"I'm going to keep the ball and the glove that I used today and put them in my souvenir cabinet back home.
"I didn't mind getting up early. I'm a morning person and we were lucky because there was only a slight breeze. It was a really good day for me - it was almost easy."
Ochoa's first birdie came with her longest putt of 10 feet at the fifth, she then had three in a row from the eighth and two more followed at the 15th and the par five 17th, where she was home in two.
Michelle Wie showed much improved form to record a level par 73. The Hawaiian teenager has hit a form slump in a season plagued by a wrist injury, but said she was "beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel."
With three birdies in the first 10 holes, she was on a leaderboard for the first time this year, but she couldn't quite hold on to a sub-par round and dropped shots at the 11th, 14th and 16th.
"It was somewhat disappointing and somewhat successful," said Wie. "I played some solid golf and got it going and then got some unlucky bounces."
- REUTERS
