Kim in First at Portland Classic


South Korea's I.K. Kim opened with a 7-under 65 to take the 18-hole lead in the Portland Classic. The $1.3 million, 72-hole LPGA Tour event began Thursday at Columbia-Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Ore.

The 26-year-old Kim, a three-time winner whose last title came at the 2010 Lorena Ochoa Invitational, carded three birdies on the front nine and four more on the back for a one-stroke lead over Americans Amelia Lewis and Jennifer Song.

Kim said she played steadily all day. "I didn't really think about scoring that much," she said. "With this golf course you just gotta play your game, and then you get rewarded."

A logjam of players carded 5-under 67s. The group includes South Africa's Paula Reto, Uruguay's Julieta Granada, Sweden's Anna Nordqvist and Americans Emma Jandel, Mina Hariguae, Laura Diaz and Alison Walshe.

Another six players are within three strokes of Kim after the first round.

Defending champion Suzann Pettersen - who also won the event in 2011 - opened with a 71.

The field this week is missing several highly-ranked players. Not in Portland is No. 1 Stacy Lewis, the runner-up in the Portland event last year.

Also missing are No. 3 Inbee Park; No. 4 Lydia Ko; No. 6 Lexi Thompson; No. 7 Cristie Kerr, who won in Portland in 2008; No. 10 Azahara Munoz; and Americans Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis. Michelle Wie, winner of the 2014 U.S. Women's Open, is still out with a finger injury.

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