Four Share Founders Cup Lead


No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko and three others opened with 6-under 66s to share the opening-round lead in the Founders Cup. The $1.5 million LPGA Tour event started Thursday at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix.

Also posting 66s were Americans Tiffany Joh and Kim Kaufman, and Germany's Sophia Popov.

The start of the round was delayed four hours because of rain and wet conditions, resulting in only half of the 132-player field finishing before darkness.

Ko, who carded seven birdies and a bogey over the long day, woke up at 4:50 a.m. '"It's going to be an early night tonight," the 17-year-old New Zealander said of the prolonged first round. "I had a little nap and then had a second breakfast."

Joh, who carded six birdies between the second and 10th holes, was more fortunate as she received notice about the delay and returned to the place she was staying. "Luckily, I got the update for the delay before I left," the 28-year-old said.

"I was actually driving out of my host family's house in Desert Mountain right when I got the email alert."

One stroke back are South Korea's In Gee Chun and Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn, while trailing by two are Koreans Amy Yang, Ha Na Jang and SooBin Kim, Americans Gerina Piller and Austin Ernst, Thai Pornanong Phatlum and Chian's Simin Feng.

Defending champion Karrie Webb was 4-under through nine holes before play was halted.

The shot of the day was by Italy's Giulia Molinaro, who aced the 148-yard 17th hole to win a Kia K900 automobile. "The first reaction was like, 'Oh, great, hole-in-one,' " Molinaro said. "Then it clicked that it actually was a car, so I think I screamed 'car' in Italian."

No.3-ranked Stacy Lewis was at 3-under through nine. No. 2 Inbee Park isn't playing this week.

For updated scores, visit http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/jtbc-founders-cup/leaderboard.