HoustonChronicle.com
29/03
Chella Choi shoots 7-under 65 to take Kia Classic lead
<p>CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Chella Choi birdied the final three holes for a 7-under 65 and the first-round lead Thursday in the Kia Classic.</p> <p>Choi had a bogey-free morning round at Aviara Golf Club in the final event before the major ANA Inspiration next week in Rancho Mirage.</p> <p>"My putter really help me, so I really enjoyed it today," Choi said.</p> <p>The South Korean player was in the first group of the day of the first tee.</p> <p>"I like this golf course," Choi said. "I have really good memory here. Beautiful weather, course condition, and beautiful flowers. Very positive think and do my best."</p> <p>She won the 2015 Marathon Classic for her lone LPGA Tour.</p> <p>Stephanie Meadow was two strokes back at 67. The former Alabama player from Northern Ireland also had a bogey-free round in the morning.</p> <p>"Really consistent day," Meadow said. "Just hit a bunch fairways and a bunch of greens and rolled some putts in, so pretty stress-free golf."</p> <p>Nine of the top 10 players in the world are in the field, with only No. 6 Nelly Korda taking the week off. Top-ranked Sung Hyun Park, No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn, No. 3 Minjee Lee, No. 4 Jin Young Ko and No. 8 Inbee Park topped a large group at 68. Sung Hyun Park won last month in Singapore and Ko is coming off a victory Sunday in the Founders Cup in Phoenix.</p> <p>"Just play now," Ko said. "Also, I don't want think about future. Just think about now."</p> <p>Defending champion Eun-Hee Ji and Brooke Henderson shot 69.</p> <p>Lexi Thompson opened with a 73 in her first tournament round in a month.</p> <p>Cristie Kerr had a hole-in-one on the 143-yard 14th in a 74. She won the 2015 tournament.</p> <p>"I played so bad today and that was like — I don't know?" Kerr said. "I was trying to just make as many birdies as I could coming in. Finally got a birdie on 10 and 13, and just was trying to somehow...</p>
