LPGA Championship - 1st Round

Cristie Kerr, Seon Hwa Lee and Stacy Lewis posted rounds of 68 and are tied for the lead at the LPGA Championship Presented by Wegmans.  Inbee Park, Lindsey Wright and Mika Miyazato are tied for fourth, one shot behind.

The scoring was what you'd expect from a major championship, with only 19 players finishing the day below par.  The thick rough and narrow fairways more than compensated for the greens' tendency to hold approaches or any perceived lack of length.  This ain't Panther Creek in Springfield or even Bulle Rock, folks.  An inch of rain fell on the course Wednesday evening and more rain fell around 2pm today, causing a brief interruption in play to squeegie off a few greens.  Lee and Lewis both birdied their final hole, the 9th, to reach -4.  Kerr joined them about three hours later when she dropped her fifth birdie of the day at #2.  Notable scores are after the jump:

How about Lindsey Wright?  She shows us nothing all season and suddenly she realizes "Hey, it's the LPGA Championship - I'm supposed to kick butt".  Lindsey had two Top 5s in the last three trips to Havre de Grace and doesn't seem to notice that she's playing in Rochester this time around.  How about the foursome at -2?  Christina Kim is the only one of them in my latest Top 50 and her 2010 hasn't been anything worth writing a book about.  Mika Miyazato comes off her interview with The Constructivist to the tune of 69 - Mina Harigae's 72 wasn't too shabby, either.  Birthday Girl Juli Inkster was -4 through 12 holes but bogeyed four times over the last six.  Paula Creamer three-putted for bogey at 10 and four-putted for double at 12 but came back with birdies at 16 and 17 to earn her 71.  Jiyai Shin told Val Skinner that her stomach was still bothering her a little but she was ready to play - her 72 confirms that statement.  Negative surprises was delivered by Ai Miyazato (only one birdie and a 76), Yani Tseng (out in +6 41), Suzann Pettersen (zero birdies) and Angela Stanford.

You want a detailed hole-by-hole description of Locust Hill? The Constructivist obliges - from his own on-course perspective.  I wish I had read it before watching today's coverage.  He's making great use of his credentials so be sure to check out all of his offerings.