WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN Stupples pulls out to three-shot lead after first round
Defending champ Annika Sorenstam is in the group tied for second place.
SUNNINGDALE, England (AP) -- Annika Sorenstam took the early lead in the Women's British Open only to see Karen Stupples charge late and leave the entire field behind.
Stupples made seven birdies in a bogey-free 7-under 65 Thursday, putting her three shots ahead of defending champion Sorenstam.
"It was great to see the progress, looking at the numbers -- one, two three and so on up to seven. That was pretty good," said Stupples, an Englishwoman whose only LPGA Tour victory came at the season-opening event in Tucson, Ariz. "Looking at who else was out there, where they were at, how they were doing. I think it's always good to look."
Others tied for second
American Natalie Gulbis, Scotland's Catriona Matthew, Finland's Minea Blomqvist and Germany's Bettina Hauert are tied with Sorenstam.
U.S. Women's Open champion Meg Mallon opened with a 3-over 75.
Playing what she termed "strategic" golf, Stupples used her driver just four times and stayed out of the bunkers. She also made two 15-foot birdie putts, with her others coming from closer range.
By the time Stupples finished, Sorenstam was long gone.
Chasing her eighth career major victory and second of the season, Sorenstam had an early start and took advantage of the sunny, windless conditions on the par-72, 6,392-yard Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course. She held the early lead until Stupples finished five hours later.
The Swede picked up birdies at Nos. 2 and 3 and, after bogeys at the fourth and sixth, picked up more ground at the turn.
Sorenstam didn't have to make any long putts for her birdies. Her longest was from 9 feet.
"I'm very happy with my 68," Sorenstam said. "It's one of the better starts in the championship for me.
"I wanted to take advantage of my [early] tee time. The conditions were great -- not a breath of air. The greens were pure and they were really good scoring conditions."
Despite coming off a loss last week at Evian when Wendy Doolan picked up six shots over the last 12 holes, Sorenstam appears to be in form to repeat her British Open triumph.
Sorenstam won at Royal Lytham and St. Annes last year to complete a career Grand Slam. She defended her LPGA Championship title in June for her seventh major victory and has four LPGA Tour victories this year and 52 in her career.
Trying to join Wright
Sorenstam is trying to join Mickey Wright as the only players to defend titles in all four majors.
Wright won the U.S. Women's Open in 1958-59, the LPGA Championship in 1960-61, the Titleholders Championship in 1961-62 and the Western Opens in 1962-63.
In addition to consecutive wins at the LPGA Championship, Sorenstam won the U.S. Women's Open in 1995-96, and the Nabisco Championship in 2001-02.
Lee, born at fashionable Putney in London, began eagle-birdie and added birdies on Nos. 10, 11, 17 and 18 for a 67, rolling in a 30-foot putt at the last. A pair of bogeys prevented her from matching Stupples.
"This is a great golf course," Lee said. "My dad played here 25 years ago when we lived here, and he commented about the course before. I lived here until I was four and my family moved to Korea."
Seeking first win
Gulbis, looking for her first victory in 21/2 years on tour, had a bogey-free 68. She was initially credited with five birdies, including three straight to start her round, but pointed out that the scorer had made a mistake at No. 2, which she parred.
Matthew, who tied for third and aced No. 15 when the championship was played at Sunningdale three years ago, is trying for her second victory in 10 seasons on the LPGA Tour. She won the Hawaiian Ladies Open in 2001.
Se Ri Pak, who won at Sunningdale in 2001, struggled to a 1-over 73. Sherri Steinhauer, who won this event twice before it became a major, also shot a 73. Seven-time major winner Juli Inkster posted a 71.
The English fans hoped to see Laura Davies challenge Sorenstam and she birdied the first two holes en route to a 2-under 70. But Stupples, who faded to fourth after taking the halfway lead in last week's Evan Masters in France, pulled the fans in her direction.
"I always want to play well when I come home," she said. "It was fantastic to do it in front of a home crowd."