Granada Up by Two at CME Group Tour Championship


Julieta Granada fired a 6-under 66 to take the opening-round lead in the CME Group Tour Championship. The $2 million event, the season finale on the LPGA Tour, began Thursday at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla.

The 28-year-old Paraguayan carded six birdies for a two-shot lead over Germany's Sandra Gal and three over Sweden's Caroline Hedwall, American Stacy Lewis and Spain's Belen Mozo.

"(I) managed my game really well at the beginning where I was playing really conservative, just hitting the greens, and two-putting for par," Granada told reporters.

"It's windy out there. It's definitely blowing . . . you just have to manage your lines and you have to start it where you want it and hope you hit it good."

As for what her chances are for a victory this week, Granada added, "I think all the girls that have a chance, they know what they're doing out there. They're tough and they're good players, so they will just keep playing their game.

"This course is a good finish, especially with 17 being a reachable par-5. It will be interesting to watch. I expect them to handle just fine I know it's a lot of money, but it's just golf, and you just have to hit one shot at a time."

Gal noted that she managed her game well in the blustery conditions. "I had to hit a lot of knock down shots," said the 29-year-old from Dusseldorf. "Then again, downwind you got to have really good control. So I hit lots of different types of shots today. It was pretty crazy. The difference between into and down (wind) was enormous."

Nine players have a chance this week to win the Race to the CME Globe and its $1 million bonus. They are No. 1-ranked Lewis followed by Inbee Park, Lydia Ko, Michelle Wie, So Yeon Ryu, Shanshan Feng, Anna Nordqvist, Chella Choi and Karrie Webb.

Lewis, Park and Ko are the only players in control of their own destiny and would win the bonus with a victory. The other players would need a victory and some help.

Trailing Granada by four strokes after 18 holes are South Koreans Hee Young Park, Ryu and Haeji Kang, Australia's Sarah Jean Smith, Spain's Carlota Ciganda and Americans Angela Stanford and Marina Alex.

Christina Kim, who earned her first victory in nine years with a wire-to-wire win in last week's Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico, opened with a 71 to share 13th with Koreans Chella Choi, Ilhee Lee, Na Yeon Choi, Inbee Park and I.K. Kim, Norway's Suzann Pettersen, Ko and Lexi Thompson.

Ko was part of the "top-three" grouping with Lewis and Inbee Park and had a good time with the other two. "I enjoyed playing alongside Stacy and Inbee today," said the 17-year-old, a two-time winner this season.

"We played together last week, so we're kind of continuing on that rhythm. But, no, I think it's always fun when I play alongside them. We're not really talkative, but we do have our chats."

Ko is slated to give an acceptance speech Thursday night when she receives the LPGA's 2014 Rookie of the Year award. As for her thoughts about that, the teenager noted, "To say 'excited' would be the wrong word. I'm a little nervous.

"I'm not a very good speaker in front of a large crowd, so I'm definitely going to be nervous. Hopefully, everybody will be nice, and even if I make a mistake they'll be like, Yeah, whatever. I think it's going to be a fun night."

Inbee Park considered her round, which listed two birdies and a bogey, sort of ho-hum. "Just a boring round today," said the three-time winner in 2014. "I think I had many pars and nothing seems like it wants to go in.

"I gave myself a lot of the opportunities, and I feel like I played really, really well, but it's just nothing seemed to drop. We still have so much golf play. Hopefully, I can drop some putts tomorrow."

Wie shot a 72, while Feng a 74 and Nordqvist a 77.

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