Sweden's Helen Alfredsson fired a career-best 10-under par 62 on Thursday to seize a two-stroke lead after the first round of the two million-dollar LPGA Sybase Classic.

Alfredsson holed out for an eagle from 68 yards on her second hole and finished the day two in front of American Brittany Lincicome.

Alfredsson, who had nine birdies and one bogey to go with her eagle, posted the lowest round on the LPGA tour this season, and left three-time defending champion Lorena Ochoa with a lot of work to do to claim a fourth-straight title in the event.

Ochoa, who has lifted this trophy at two different venues, was nine shots off the lead.

Ochoa overcame a four-shot deficit in this event three years ago, when it was played at Wykagyl in New York.

"I had birdie chances, like on 18, that just didn't go," Ochoa said. "But I'm happy. I'm very good with the speed. I had a couple that got away and had to save par, so I feel good. Tomorrow, maybe, some of them will drop."

Ochoa is trying to join Sweden's Annika Sorenstam and England's Laura Davies as the only women to win the same LPGA tournament four years in a row.

Sorenstam won the Mizuno Classics five straight years from 2001-05, while Davies won the Standard Register PING four times in a row from 1994-97.

She faced long odds, but not insurmountable ones, said Suzann Petterson.

"As far as I know, this is a four-round tournament," the Norwegian said after posting a seven-under 65 to claim third place.

Alfredsson, 44, started on the back nine and eagled the 11th, birdied 12 and chipped in from the edge of the green on 13 for birdie.

She bogeyed 15, then picked up a shot on one, where she made one of eight birdies from inside eight feet.

"Anybody, when we play good, you wonder why you don't do this all the time, because it's so easy," she said. "It's not strenuous, your head is not going crazy, your body doesn't hurt. At my age, all that stuff usually comes along with it. So you don't know why. I just felt that it's just one of those days."

Lincicome, winner of the first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco in April, needed just 25 putts.

She drained two 15-foot putts and one 30-footer, and didn't need a putt at all when she chipped in for eagle from 17 yards at the par-five 18th.

Lincicome said one her goals now that she has won a major is to become more consistent.

Since her triumph at Rancho Mirage she missed the cut at the Corona Championship and tied for 63rd last week.

"I really would like to learn how to be like Annika, be like Lorena and be more consistent and be at the top of the leaderboard every week," Lincicome said. "That would be nice."

Pettersen can boast four top-10 finishes this year. She had nine birdies and two bogeys and saved par at 18 despite hitting her second shot into the water.

AFP

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