Pair of Eagles Sends Kim Soaring at Lorena Ochoa Invitational


Christina Kim opened with a 7-under 65 to take the 18-hole lead at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. The $1 million LPGA Tour event began Thursday at Club de Golf Mexico in Mexico City.

The 30-year-old Kim, a native of San Jose, Calif., with two victories on tour, posted three birdies and two eagles. Her eagles both came on par-5s, the second and 17th holes.

Kim, whose most recent win was almost 10 years ago at the 2005 Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions, enjoys a one-shot lead over Spain's Azahara Munoz. Munoz could have tied Kim for the lead but bogeyed the par-4 closing hole.

"Just got a really good roll on the ball," Kim said. "And for the first time in probably five months, I've gotten excited. So I was like, 'Come on, come on!' "

Trailing the leader by three is newly-crowned LPGA Rookie of the Year, New Zealand's Lydia Ko, who birdied the final two holes for her 68, while four behind are Americans Lizette Salas and Gerina Piller, and Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum.

Defending champion Lexi Thompson of Florida had a 70 and is tied for seventh with South Koreans Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu, France's Karine Icher, and Americans Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome.

Ko, ranked No. 3 in the world, was paired in the opening round with top-ranked Park and No. 2 Stacy Lewis, who shot a 4-over 76.

Other scores in the limited-field, 36-player tournament included a 73 by reigning U.S. Women's Open champion Michelle Wie.

Ko entered the tournament ranked third behind Lewis and Park in the Race to the CME Globe. The LPGA Tour's 2014 season will conclude next week with the CME Globe Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla. Wie is fourth in the points' standings.

For all the scores at the 72-hole Lorena Ochoa Invitational, visit www.lpga.com.