GALLOWAY, N.J. (AP) 鈥� Elizabeth Szokol birdied the first five holes and shot an 8-under 62 on Friday for a share of the first-round lead with Ilhee Lee in the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Playing in the afternoon on Seaview鈥檚 Bay Course, Szokol followed her opening birdie run with a bogey on No. 6, then added birdies on Nos. 8, 9, 13 and 16.
鈥淗appy to get off to a great start and really looking forward to the weekend,鈥� Szokol said. 鈥淟ots of golf left. Really excited to see good golf and hard work paying off today.鈥�
The 30-year-old American teamed with Cheyenne Knight to win the 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational for her only tour victory.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda opened with a 71, and No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul had a 68. Maja Stark, the U.S. Women鈥檚 Open winner Sunday at Erin Hills, shot 70.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 71 and is tied in 65th with 21 other players. She's eight back of the lead. Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., is one shot back and in a 15-way tie for 87th.
Lee birdied three straight holes three times 鈥� on Nos. 3-5, 8-10 and 16-18 鈥� and had one bogey in her morning round. The 36-year-old South Korean won the 2013 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic for her lone tour title.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have expectations,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淚 just play golf. I just come out, have fun. That鈥檚 all I do.鈥�
Akie Iwai of Japan was third after a 65 in one of only two 54-hole tournaments left on the LPGA Tour schedule. The other is the Walmart NW Arkansas Open.
鈥淣ormally four days, so I feel fast, shorter tournament,鈥� Iwai said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we must make a lot birdies.鈥�
Wei-Ling Hsu was at 66 with Aline Krauter, Ayaka Furue, Polly Mack, Saki Baba, Dewi Weber and Gurleen Kaur.
Defending champion Linnea Strom shot 72.
___
AP golf:
The Associated Press
