Mika Miyazato Leads NW Arkansas Championship


Japan's Mika Miyazato opened with a 6-under 65 to take the first-round lead in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. The LPGA Tour event began Friday at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark.

The 23-year-old carded six birdies to go a stroke ahead of Angela Stanford and South Korea's So Yeon Ryu, and two in front of hometown heroine Stacy Lewis and Danielle Kang, Lisa McCloskey, Mina Harigae, Spaniards Azahara Munoz and Beatriz Recari, Norway's Suzann Petterson, the Netherlands' Christel Boeljon and Australia's Sarah Kemp.

Lewis is a former All-American at the University of Arkansas.

Several players opened with 68s, including former No. 1 Yani Tseng and Americans Morgan Pressel, Paula Creamer and Jennifer Johnson.

Among those who carded 69s was No. 1-ranked Inbee Park, a four-time winner this year and winner of the LPGA Tour's last event, a major, the Wegmans LPGA Championship.

The tournament's defending champion Ai Miyazato, no relation to Mika, started with a 2-over 73.

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