Shanshan Feng shot a six-under 66 in perfect morning conditions at Mission Hills and take the first round lead at the LPGA’s first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
The 24-year-old from China had a round that included seven birdies and one bogey on the Par-4 15th. She leads by one over South Korean Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak and American Michelle Wie.
Feng played her opening round with three-time Kraft Nabisco Championship winner Amy Alcott and admitted asking the 58-year-old for a tip or two on how to win over this course.
"After my first drive, I was asking her (for) the secrets about winning here," said Feng. "Before this year, I never did well here, so she was telling me the secrets (but) don't ask me what the secrets are, because they are secrets.”
Feng added, "I will tell you maybe after we finish Sunday but I did learn a lot from her. I was really focusing on my game but at the same time watching how she deals with the tough shots."
In four previous tries, Feng’s best finish has been a T22 in 2012, the year she won the LPGA Championship and became the first Chinese player to win a major. That is one of three victories on Tour for Feng.
Alcott shot an 81 in her 36th start in the tournament she won in 1983, 1988 and 1991. In 1988, she became the first player to take the now-traditional victory leap into Poppie's Pond.
Pak started her day with a birdie on the Par-4 10th (she started on the back nine), and was sitting at five-under when she reached the Par-3 eight (her 17th of the day). There she carded her only bogey of the day, but recovered to make a birdie on the Par-5 ninth to finish the day tied with Wie for second place.
Pak is a five-time major winner but has never won the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Her best finish has been a T8 in 2012.
Wie was tied for the lead after going birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie in a four-hole stretch that started on the ninth. She lipped out a three-foot par putt on the Par-3 17th and settled for par and her final of five-under 67 after her wedge approach released long on the Par-5 18th.
For the 24-year-old from Hawaii, it looks like ages ago, when she became became the youngest player to make an LPGA cut in her debut at the 2003 Kraft Nabisco as a 13-year-old. Her best finish-to-date is a T3 in 2006.
The story of the day has to be American Angel Yin, a 15-year-old amateur from the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia, who shot a four-under 68 and sits tied for fourth with South Korean Amy Yang.
Yin played in the tournament last year after winning the SCGA Champions Junior Challenge, and is back in the field this year through a sponsor's exemption. She rebounded from two bogeys and two birdies in her first four holes, and is now the highest placed Amateur so far in the tournament.
The next Amateur player on the leaderboard is American Lilia Vu who shot a one-over 73 and is T29. The World’s Top Amateur, Minjee Lee, shot a three-over 75 and is T60.
Yang, tied with Yin four fourth, played a bogey-free round and was at four-under after 11 holes. She just couldn’t muster another birdie the rest of the way.
Americans Cristie Kerr, South Korean Jiyai Shin and Phillipines’ Jennifer Rosales sit one shot back at three-under tied for sixth. Rounding the Top 10 in a tie for ninth at two-under are South Korean and World’s No. 6 So Yeon Ryu, her compatriots Chella Choi and Haeji Kang, along with Americans Morgan Pressel and Tiffany Joh.
Defending Champ and World’s No. 1, Inbee Park, mixed three bogeys with birdie for a two-over 74 and is T46. Stacy Lewis, Lydia Ko, Karrie Webb, Lexi Thompson. Lizette Salas, Jessica Korda and Charley Hull are among a huge 17-player bunch tied for 29th at one-over.
Other notables scores today: Anna Nordqvist (T14, one-under); Paula Creamer, Na Yeon Choi, Catriona Matthew and Azahara Muñoz (T21, even-par).
The action on the second round starts tomorrow at 10:10 am ET from the first and 10th tees. Golf Channel will have the TV coverage from 12:00-3:00 pm ET and 6:00-9:00 pm ET.