Evian-les-Bains, France (My Sportsbook) - In-Kyung Kim, Becky Brewerton and Na Yeon Choi each fired five-under 67 on Thursday to share the opening-round lead of the Evian Masters
Ji Young Oh, Karen Stupples, Karine Icher and Wendy Ward are knotted in fourth place at four-under 68 at Evian Masters Golf Club.
It was not a good day for the bigger names on the LPGA Tour.
World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa struggled to a three-over 75 and is tied for 75th place out of 90 participants.
Michelle Wie wasn't much better. Wie, who has two runner-up finishes at this event, birdied her last two for a one-over 73 and a share of 53rd place.
Eun Hee Ji won the U.S. Women's Open in the last LPGA Tour event two weeks ago, but like Wie, she only managed a 73 on Thursday.
While Paula Creamer, defending champion Helen Alfredsson, Morgan Pressel and Cristie Kerr are part of a large group tied for 13th at minus-two, they trail the leaders by three.
Kim, who won this year's LPGA State Farm Classic, parred her first six holes on Thursday, then broke into red figures with a birdie at the par-five seventh hole.
At the par-four ninth, Kim holed out her nine-iron approach shot for an eagle. She was three-under for the championship and got to minus-four with a birdie at No. 12.
Kim birdied the par-five 15th to reach five-under. She parred her last three for her share of the first-round lead.
"This golf course, I think it should fit my game because of the narrow fairways and small greens," said Kim. "If I make some putts, I think I can be very fortunate on this golf course."
Brewerton is playing strong golf. She won last week's Spanish Open and hopes to continue a trend on the Ladies European Tour. Diana Luna won two weeks in a row prior to Brewerton's victory in Spain, then took second behind Brewerton last week.
"It would be nice to get back-to-back wins, which Diana Luna did it a couple of weeks ago. Martin Kaymer has done it on the men's tour recently, so fingers crossed it will be my turn this time," said Brewerton.
Brewerton parred her first four, then rattled off three consecutive birdies from the No. 5. He added another birdie at the ninth to make the turn in four- under 32.
Brewerton birdied the 10th for two in a row and five in a six-hole span. She stumbled a bit with back-to-back bogeys at 13 and 14, but got those strokes back with birdies at 16 and 17.
Choi, 14th on the LPGA Tour money list, recorded three birdies on the front side. She bogeyed the 10th, but three birdies in her last four holes earned her a piece of first.
Karrie Webb, Meena Lee, Seon Hwa Lee, Ai Miyazato and Momoko Ueda are knotted in third place at three-under 69.
