Rogers, AR (My Sportsbook) - Sandra Gal of Germany eagled her last hole Friday en route to a seven-under 64 and the first-round lead of the P&G beauty NW Arkansas Championship.

Song-Hee Kim is alone in second place at six-under 65.

Brittany Lang, Pat Hurst and Angela Stanford are knotted in third place at five-under 66.

They are chasing Gal, who is only in her second year on tour.

Gal flew out of the gate on Friday. She knocked her approach to 10 feet at the first and cashed in on the birdie chance. Gal rattled off back-to-back birdies thanks to a 15-footer at two, then made it three in a row with a 20-footer at No. 3.

"It's a good confidence boost," said Gal of her start.

Her birdie string ended abruptly when she found two bunkers at the fourth and missed an eight-footer for par. She got the stroke back at the par-five seventh, where she made yet another long birdie effort.

Gal parred four in a row around the turn. She hit a seven-iron to 10 feet to set up birdie at the 12th and three holes later, Gal played an eight-iron to 25 feet and made yet another long birdie putt.

After pars at 16 and 17, Gal had a four-iron in her hand for her second at the par-five closing hole at Pinnacle Country Club. She knocked her approach to 15 feet and polished off her round with the eagle putt.

"It was just kind of a very smooth day," said Gal. "I was hitting lots of fairways, lots of greens and had a good roll on my putts. That's really what made the difference, I think."

Gal earned her best finish on the LPGA Tour this year. She tied for fifth place at the LPGA Corning Classic, but has had trouble finishing off tournaments.

She shot a 65 in the first round at the LPGA Corning Classic, and despite three other rounds in the 60s, Gal couldn't keep up with eventual winner Yani Tseng.

At the Wegmans LPGA event, Gal fired a 64 in round one, but a 73 and a 75 in rounds two and four cost her. She tied for 10th, but believes she figured out what hurt her.

"I think it's just staying really in the present and staying aggressive with your game, not thinking what happened yesterday," said the German. "It happens to a lot of players when they shoot a low score and next day it's just not going that well. I think really it's just forget yesterday and then it's a new day. It's like the first day again tomorrow, and that's what I gotta do tomorrow."

Soo-Yun Kang, Eun-Hee Ji, Jane Park, Jeong Jang, Karen Stupples and Kim Welch are knotted in sixth place at four-under 67.

Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie are part of a group tied for 21st place at two- under 69.

"It was a weird round," acknowledged Wie. "I just couldn't get some things going. I had a lot of good birdie opportunities, but I just couldn't make a lot of putts out there."

Paula Creamer managed a one-under 70 and is tied for 36th place.

Defending champion Seon Hwa Lee struggled to a three-over 74.