Delasin one shot behind Kerr with 66

PRATTVILLE, Alabama – Cristie Kerr shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Morgan Pressel, Anna Nordqvist and Dorothy Delasin after Thursday’s opening round of the Navistar LPGA Classic.

Kerr, also the LPGA Championship winner and LPGA State Farm Classic champion this year, birdied three of the last four holes in her bogey-free round on the links-style Senator course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill complex.

Delasin gunned down four straight birdies starting on the par-4 No. 3, and had another on the ninth to close her front nine at five-under 31.

The 10-year veteran with four LPGA titles under her name continued her assault of the 6,607-yard layout with more birdies on the 11, 13th and 15th.

But somehow she showed her weakness on the final hole, a par-four which she double-bogeyed for an opening-day round of 66 and a tie for second.

Long-hitting Brittany Lincicome was two strokes back at 67 along with Christina Kim, Vicky Hurst and Giulia Sergas. Silvia Cavalleri was 5 under with a hole left when play was suspended because of darkness.

Top-ranked Ai Miyazato opened with a 70, and US Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer had a 71 in the tour’s first event since the Northwest Arkansas Championship ended Sept. 12.   – With AP reports