Avnet LPGA Classic - 1st Round

Song-Hee Kim and Grace Park are tied for the lead through 18 holes at the Avnet LPGA Classic.  Stacy Lewis and Karen Stupples are tied for third one shot behind while Na Yeon Choi, Angela Oh and defending champion Se Ri Pak are two shots back tied for fifth.

Grace was definitely the day's big story, posting a 67 - her lowest round on Tour since posting the same number in the first round of last June's ShopRite Classic.  That day however, it was only good for a share of ninth place.  With just 20 other players breaking par, today's 67 is a much more impressive number.  Starting on the back nine, Park birdied 12 and eagled 13 to jump out to -3.  Two birdies and two bogeys later, she went to her final two holes still at -3 and birdied them both.  Playing later in the day, Kim ran off three straight birdies from 5 through 7.  After a birdie/bogey exchange at 13 and 14, Song-Hee birdied 15 and 17 to join Park at -5.  A couple of names on the last two lines of notable scores ought to surprise you:

World Number One Yani Tseng triple-bogeyed 1 and doubled 16.  Karrie Webb snagged nary a birdie all day while Cristie Kerr bogeyed four times to go along with a double at the par-3 2^nd hole.  Michelle Wie birdied three straight on the back nine but seven bogeys ruined her day.  The only members of my Top 10 who weren't causing the gallery to hold their noses were Choi, Paula Creamer and Suzann Pettersen.

By the way - if Kerr doesn't pick up a shot or two on the field tomorrow, she will miss her second straight cut after having made 90 in a row dating back to May 2007.