La Jolla, CA (My Sportsbook) - Jiyai Shin, who won last week in Arkansas, and Song-Hee Kim both fired rounds of six-under 66 on Thursday to share the first- round lead of Samsung World Championship.
Two-time winner and world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa and Sophie Gustafson, who won this title in 2003, both posted five-under 67s and are tied for third place at the South Course at Torrey Pines.
Ochoa hasn't won since late April, but Thursday's round was something the game's best can build from.
"I think what I wanted to do these first two days is give myself a good chance, put myself in a good position, and I think I couldn't ask for a better round," said Ochoa.
Ai Miyazato and Juli Inkster are knotted in fifth place at minus-four, followed by defending champion Paula Creamer, won her title last year at Half Moon Bay Golf Links.
This event features an exclusive 20-player field and is making its debut at Torrey Pines, site of the Buick Invitational on the PGA Tour as well as Tiger Woods' thrilling playoff win over Rocco Mediate at the 2008 U.S. Open.
Shin, who defeated Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo last week after a final- round 64, did not get off to the kind of a start one expects from a leader. She drove left at one, hit a three-wood into a bunker, blasted out to 11 feet and two-putted for an opening bogey.
That was her last miscue of the round. At the par-three third, Shin hit a seven-iron to three feet and tapped in for birdie. Three holes later, it was another tap-in birdie and Shin closed her front nine with a 15-footer for birdie at the par-five ninth.
Shin kept the hot streak going around the turn. At the 10th, she knocked an eight-iron just inside 30 feet and rolled it for the birdie. She made it three in a row at the 205-yard, par-three 11th. Shin hit a five-wood to 15 feet and sank the birdie putt to reach four-under for the championship.
Shin hit a 56-degree wedge to five feet to set up birdie at the par-five 13th. She parred her next four, but got to minus-six thanks to her play at the par- five final hole.
She used a three-wood to reach the green in two at 18 and her ball stopped 17 feet from the flag stick. Shin two-putted for a final birdie that got her a share of first.
"Actually today my goal was just a couple under par because this is a really tough course for me," acknowledged Shin, the only three-time winner this year on the LPGA Tour.
Kim did most of her damage on the front nine at Torrey Pines. Her putter was working all round and started helping her at the second. She drained a 15- footer for birdie at two, then followed it up with a 25-footer for birdie at No. 3.
Two holes later, Kim ran home a 20-foot birdie putt and collected back-to-back birdies with a two-putt from 15 feet at the par-five sixth. Kim got one more birdie on the front side with a 15-footer at the eighth.
Kim parred her first five holes on the second side, then hit a pitching-wedge to nine feet at the 15th. She made that birdie putt, but three-putted for a bogey at the next hole to fall out of the lead.
Kim got back to six-under and in a share of first at the par-five last. She got on to the putting surface in two at the par five and two-putted from 30 feet to post her 66.
"I made a lot of birdie putts. My swing was really comfortable and my mind was really like simple today," said Kim. "So I think that's why I played best today."
Brittany Lincicome shot a two-under 70 and is eighth, followed by Na Yeon Choi, Anna Nordqvist and Suzann Pettersen, who each carded rounds of one-under 71.
