Ochoa Shoots 67 for Early Lead

Thursday, August 2nd 2007, 7:59 am

By: News On 6

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) _ Lorena Ochoa took a step toward ending the year with her first major championship, taking advantage of calm, sunny conditions at St. Andrews for a 6-under 67 on Thursday to take the early lead at Women's British Open.

On a historic day when women's professional golf made its debut at the home of golf, the 25-year-old Mexican star set out to make history for herself. Ochoa, the No. 1 player in the world, made three straight birdies around the loop starting at No. 8 and kept bogeys off her card to keep her name atop the leaderboard among early finishers.

``It was just a really good day, one of those days when things are easy and really good,'' Ochia said. ``There was only a little bit of a breeze and I took advantage of that and made some birdies.

``I had in my head 2 or 3 under so it's even better than I thought.

By the time she walked off the 18th green, few players out on the course were threatening her lead.

Ai Miyazato of Japan shot 70, while Michelle Wie showed signs of straightening out her game with an even-par 73. Wie was two shots behind Ochoa until bogeys on two of the final five holes.

``It was semi-disappointing and semi-successful,'' said Wie, who is still recovering from an injured left wrist and has failed to break 70 in over a year.

``It's the first time I've played really solidly, but I missed some reasonably easy putts. I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel now.''

In perfect weather at St. Andrews, Ochoa birdied three straight holes and stretched her lead to three shots when her long approach to the 15th settled 2 feet from the pin.

That was her fifth birdie, and another followed at the 17th, the tough Road Hole which has been made a par 5 for the Women's Open.

Ochoa's second finished at the back of the green and her first putt left her with a 5-footer for birdie. After Miyazato bogeyed the 16th, Ochoa walked onto the 18th green four ahead of the field, then narrowly missed a 15-foot birdie on the final hole.

Miyazato recovered from a double bogey seven at the fifth to make four birdies on the back nine. The Japanese star drove into rough at the fifth, failed to clear a pot bunker with her second and had to play her third shot sideways out of the sand.

Despite pulling her drives far left at the opening two holes, Wie looked comfortable on her first competitive round at St. Andrews. The 17-year-old from Hawaii, who has battled wrist injuries most of the year, rolled in birdie putts from 10 and 7 feet at the fourth and fifth holes to move to 2 under.

After winning her first title at the Evian Masters on Sunday, Natalie Gulbis didn't expect to be 5 behind at the turn. Without a birdie on the front nine, the American was 1 over after her bogey 5 at the second and went on to make an even par 73, along with Paula Creamer.

Annika Sorenstam, who has 10 majors and won this championship in 2003 at Royal Lytham, & St. Annes, went out later and was 1 under after four holes.