KAHUKU, Hawaii, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Angela Stanford took the lead and Michelle Wie was only a shot back Friday after the first round of the LPGA season-opening SBS Open in Hawaii.
Stanford is coming off her career-best year, in which she won twice, had 10 top-10 finishes and collected $1.1 million.
She shot a 7-under 65 over the Turtle Bay Resort course while Wie and Yani Tseng both had a 66 Friday.
It was the first round for Wie as an official member of the LPGA Tour. After attempting, without success, to compete against male players early in her career, Wie committed herself to earning full playing rights on the LPGA circuit.
She easily did so during the qualifying tournament late last year.
Kyeong Bae was alone in third with a 67 and Momoko Ueda shot a 68 for fourth place. Among those at 3-under 69 were 47-year-old Juli Inkster, who is looking for her first tour win in three years.
