Yani Tseng grabbed the first round lead at the Wegmans LPGA Championship Thursday with a 6-under 66, while Morgan Pressel shot a 69 and is tied for fifth.
Tseng is seeking her third major since she began working with coach Gary Gilchrist at the beginning of 2010 – a stretch that also includes eight other worldwide wins. Both of those majors came last year, and she just missed out on grabbing her first major of 2011 when she finished second at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Similar to her start at Kraft, Tseng got going quickly with three birdies through her first five holes before going on to a 5-under 31 on the front. Bogeys on Nos. 11 and 16 were just a minor setback though as she closed with a birdie on No. 18 to grab the lead by one.
Pressel meanwhile battled for a bogey-free 69 with three birdies. She seeks her first major since she began working with Gilchrist at the beginning of the season and was also very close to grabbing her first at Kraft earlier in the year. Pressel, who won the Kraft Nabsico Championship in 2007, finished third behind Tseng and winner Stacy Lewis.
Tseng and Pressel aren’t the only ones though vying for the LPGA Championship crown with good vibes coming into the event.
2004 Women’s British Open Champ Karen Stupples is also confident with her game of late after a T9, a T17, a T11 and a T28 in her last four starts. Her even par 72 Thursday, and some work after her round with Gary on the range, has her in high spirits for the second round.
