Creamer & Uribe Set Pace in Kia Classic


Paula Creamer and Mariajo Uribe each fired 5-under 67s to share the opening-round lead in the Kia Classic. The $1.7 million LPGA Tour event began Thursday at Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Calif.

Creamer, who won the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore earlier this month in a playoff, carded six birdies and a bogey, while Uribe, a 24-year-old from Colombia in search of her first LPGA title, had five birdies on the day.

The two lead Cristie Kerr, Shanshan Feng, Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Mi Hyang Lee by a stroke.

Creamer posted her good score despite coping with some tricky winds. "It was swirling a lot," she told reporters. "It was pretty inconsistent at spots out there, but you just kind of have to trust your wind map or trust and see what's going on out there.

"I played pretty solid. I had one bogey, but I gave myself a bunch of opportunities and putted really well, made some good two-putts. I think it's an advantage playing early in the morning and I wanted to take that advantage," added Creamer, who won in Singapore after sinking a miraculous 75-foot eagle putt on the second playoff hole to beat Azahara Munoz.

Creamer says she's still getting gas from fellow players about her tournament-winning putt of three weeks ago. "It's funny," Creamer said before the round. "Every time I walk down the putting green, (players) go, 'Oh, the green's not big enough for you.' "

The victory was her first since the 2010 U.S. Women's Open. "It's beneficial any time to win, but for me, it definitely has made this season, a lot sweeter, that's for sure," Creamer said. "It's made me believe even more in what we're doing with my golf swing. All those hard times that I've been struggling with the last couple of years, it just kind of puts a cap to it and all and just shows what perseverance is all about."

Uribe, who attended UCLA and won the 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur at Crooked Stick, said of her round, which started and ended in near-darkness, "I took advantage of the first couple of holes where the greens weren't that bad. It was just a rush at the end. You don't want to come at 5 a.m. to warm up and play one hole. I just tried to stay calm."

No. 1-ranked Inbee Park carded a 69 along with Munoz, Lexi Thompson, Lizette Salas and Tiffany Joh. Park is looking for her first title in the States since the U.S. Women's Open last June.

"My ball-striking was great," Park said. "I hit almost probably every fairway and every green and I probably hit everything inside 15 feet. Didn't hole anything . . . Today was like the day I could have gone 10-under, but still in the 60s. That's all right. Three more days, keep the ball-striking like this week . . . and I think it'll be good."

No. 2-ranked Suzann Pettersen withdrew before the start of play because of a balky back. Third-ranked Stacy Lewis opened with a 70.

For all the scores, visit www.lpga.com.