Castrale fires 65 to lead LPGA Championship

By Larry Fine
HAVRE DE GRACE, Maryland (Reuters) - American Nicole Castrale seized the early lead in the opening round of the LPGA Championship by posting a seven-under-par 65 at Bulle Rock on Thursday.
Castrale, with one title to her credit since joining the tour in 2002, registered four sets of back-to-back birdies on an overcast day that held the threat of rain.
Castrale suffered a blip at the last hole. She drove into the right rough and put her second shot in rough right of the green. Her chip ran 22 feet past the cup and she took two putts for her only bogey of the day.
"The front nine all of my iron shots were going right at the pin," said Castrale, who made six birdies on the front nine. "It was a great feeling."
LPGA Tour rookie Anna Nordqvist of Sweden was one shot back, completing a 66 when she holed out from 40 yards to save par at the 18th in the season's second major championship.
Another stroke back among the early finishers was China's Feng Shanshan, who had six birdies against one bogey for 67.
Tseng Yani of Taiwan, who won last year as a 19-year-old, parred the first eight holes after teeing off from the 10th among the afternoon starters.
Knotted at 68 were South Koreans Amy Yang and Choi Na-yeon, South African Ashleigh Simon and American Paige Mackenzie.
Michelle Wie, seeking her first LPGA title, was in a group at two-under 70 along with Park Inbee of South Korea.
"It was an interesting start," Wie told reporters. "I missed some short ones early on. But it was fun."
Wie thought better rounds could be coming. "I left a lot out there," she said.
Nordqvist missed just one fairway and took only 22 putts in her first major championship round as a professional.
"It's good momentum for tomorrow," Nordqvist told reporters about her spectacular par-save on the final hole. "It's disappointing if you end bad."
(Editing by Justin Palmer)

Source: Reuters