Sandra Gal shot a 64 to take the first-round lead at the P&G NW Arkansas Championship.  Song-Hee Kim is one shot behind in second place while Angela Stanford, Brittany Lang and Pat Hurst are tied for third, two shots back.

Gal opened the round with three straight birdies, bogeyed #4 and made the turn in 33.  She birdied twice on the back and finished with an eagle at the par-5 18^th to match her career-best round.  Kim bogeyed the par-4 8^th but birdied seven times en route to her 65.  Hurst played bogey-free for her 66 while Lang offset her one bogey with an eagle at the par-5 14^th.  Stanford bogeyed twice but more than overcame them with seven birdies, five over her last nine.  The other notable scores include:

At some point this week they changed par to 71.  Hole 13 was shortened to a par-4, making the back nine par equal 35.  The overall course length remained about the same - 6244 yards.  It didn't seem to matter much, as 35 players broke 70 and 72 were even par or better.

Four players who are very low on the Priority List did not start - A.J. Eathorne, Tracy Hanson, Sophie Giquel and Angela Oh - which leads me to believe they either didn't expect to make the field (so they didn't book passage to Rogers) or they are prepping for Sectional Q-School (which begins next Wednesday in Palm Springs, California).