Thu Apr 3 21:34:38 2008

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Stupples leads Ochoa, Miyazato at first major

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Rancho Mirage, CA (Sports Network) - Karen Stupples shot a five-under 67 on Thursday to take a slim lead over Lorena Ochoa and Ai Miyazato after the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Ochoa, the world No. 1 who is looking for a second consecutive major championship, bogeyed her 17th hole and carded a four-under 68 to fall one shot back. Miyazato tapped in for birdie at her last hole to also post a 68.

Natalie Gulbis and Heather Young shared third place at three-under 69, with Mi Hyun Kim, Liselotte Neumann, Maria Hjorth and amateur Maria Jose Uribe another shot further back at 70.

Annika Sorenstam, Paula Creamer and defending champion Morgan Pressel led a group of eight players at 71.

Stupples played in the first twosome off the No. 1 tee at Mission Hills and posted five birdies in a flawless round to take the early lead. It held up through the more than 50 groups that went out after her.

Ochoa mounted the best challenge, making six birdies and a bogey through her first 16 holes. But a three-putt at the No. 8 green dropped the Mexican star one shot off the overnight lead.

Looking to win for the third time this season already -- and seeking her second major championship after breaking through at the Women's British Open last summer -- Ochoa was happy with her score.

Especially considering the strong wind that whipped through the Dinah Shore course.

"If I get zero wind in the next three days and hit it really good from the tees, [I] could make two more birdies, but I am happy with my round today," she said. "I will take that for sure three more days."

Stupples, also a former Women's British Open winner, had three birdies before the afternoon was more than a half-hour old. They included 15-foot putts at Nos. 2 and 5 and a wedge shot to tap-in range at the fourth.

She added two more birdies on the back side, making five-foot putts at the 11th and 17th holes.

The 34-year-old Stupples gave birth to her first child, a son, about a year ago. She has finished in the top 20 in each of her three previous starts this season, but said she only recently regained her full strength.

"All of a sudden it came back almost overnight, and that was really good to see, that I was able to get through the ball as well as I was, and the rustiness I felt at the end of last year when I came back with my short game, I managed to work that out, so I'm really excited and ready to play," said Stupples.

"This was one of the tournaments that when I sat at home pregnant watching this on TV, I really wanted to be here playing, so it feels great to be here because every time you come here it feels special."

Ochoa is looking up at Stupples for the moment, but also looking behind at Sorenstam, the three-time Kraft Nabisco champion who returned to her winning ways at Turtle Bay two months ago.

Sorenstam produced a flurry of activity before making the turn, posting three birdies and two bogeys on holes 14-18. She finished on the front nine with a birdie at the fourth and a bogey at the eighth.

While players are getting used to following Ochoa on the leaderboard, Ochoa admitted she follows Sorenstam just as closely.

"Because she is a player to watch," Ochoa said. "She is so good and so consistent and she likes to win, and that gives -- that always keeps me, you know, in a way alert and motivated and know where I stand."

Scores were low Thursday despite the wind. Pressel's winning number last year -- when she benefited from a late collapse by Suzann Pettersen to become the youngest major champion among the women -- was just three-under par.

"The course is not playing that difficult, so I certainly made a lot of mistakes out there," said Pressel, who had five birdies and four bogeys. "But if you look at the fact that I hit five greens, one-under sounds pretty good."