Summary Austin Ernst fired a six-under 66 in the opening round of the season-ending Tour Championship.
NAPLES (AFP) - American Austin Ernst, seeking only her second LPGA title, fired a six-under 66 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the season-ending Tour Championship.
And while the 23-year-old world number 53 was charging to the lead, New Zealand teen star Lydia Ko fired a 69 to help tighten her grip on the world number one ranking ahead of South Korean Park In-Bee, who opened on 71 to share 22nd.
Park must finish 12th or better to have a chance of swiping the year-end top spot from Ko, the defending champion who took the season points bonus and the title last year for a record $1.5 million payday.
Ernst has barely cracked the million-dollar mark in her three LPGA seasons, with her lone crown coming at last year s Portland Classic, but she found form with her streaky putter Thursday to put herself atop the leaderboard.
"There were still two or three putts I feel like I should have made, but to be able to shoot 6 and say that is a step in the right direction," Ernst said.
"It has been a little streaky. I have been up and down with the putter. I had eight birdies today. When I get around like that with the putter, that s when I have good weeks."
Ernst has four top-10 efforts this season, including a share of second at the Yokohama Tire Classic in August, where she adopted a claw putting style.
A birdie-birdie finish boosted Ernst to the lead by one stroke over South Korean Lee Mi-Hyang with South Korean Kim Sei-Young and Americans Jennifer Song, Cristie Kerr, Jaye Marie Green, Brittany Lincicome and Gerina Piller sharing third on 68.
Ernst put her approach at the par-5 17th three feet from the cup to set up a birdie and blasted a 5-wood 192 yards to within inches of the hole at 18.
"The crowd got really loud," Ernst said. "It rolled right over the edge. It felt nice to finish with a tap-in birdie."
Ko, the 18-year-old Kiwi wonder who has five wins this season, captured her first major title at the Evian Championship in France.
Ko took a bogey at the par-3 fifth but birdied the par-5 sixth and added birdies at the par-3 12th and par-5 14th and 17th holes to join a pack on 69 with American Alison Lee and South Koreans I.K. Kim and Jang Ha Na.
Park took a bogey at the par-5 first hole but opened the back nine with a birdie and also birdied 17 to crack par in round one. A victory would give her the top ranking spot no matter where Ko finishes.
