Lee takes Kia lead with 65; J-Ro 4 adrift

CARLSBAD, California – Mirim Lee birdied all four par-5 holes and finished with a bogey-free seven-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kia Classic.

Lee took the outright lead with an 8-foot putt on the par-5 fifth – her 14th hole in her afternoon round at Aviara – and hit a wedge to 3 feet to set up her final birdie on the par-5 eighth. The 24-year-old South Korean player won LPGA Tour events last year in Michigan and China.

“Today was putting,” Lee said.

Lee had only 25 putts, holing 40-footers for birdies on Nos. 16 and 17.

She struggled last week in Phoenix, finishing 77th in the Founders Cup.

“I practiced a lot this week,” Lee said. “I changed the grip.”

Jennifer Rosales rattled off three birdies in the first seven holes and went on to fire a three-under 69 for joint 17th in one of her strongest starts in years.

A two-time winner, Rosales actually dropped a stroke on No. 9 but recovered it with a birdie on No. 13 to stay four shots off Lee.

Yani Tseng, winless in 70 starts since her victory in the 2012 event at nearby La Costa, had a 66. She finished with a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th after hitting a 150-yard, 7-iron shot from near a fairway bunker with the ball well above her feet – and water to the right of the green.           (AP)