Michelle Wie rolled in several clutch putts Thursday and had six birdies in a 10-hole stretch to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the HSBC Women's Champions. The 27-year-old Wie, who has struggled with injuries and form since winning the US Open in 2014, shot a 6-under 66 at the new Tanjong course. "It's a marathon this week, it's not a sprint," said Wie. "But I have to say I'm very proud of where I've positioned myself today." Five others were tied for second after 67s — Olympic champion Inbee Park, Brooke Henderson, Mo Martin, Anna Nordqvist and Ariya Jutanugarn. Among other scores in the 63-player field, Stacy Lewis and Paula Creamer had 68s, top-ranked Lydia Ko shot 69, Shanshan Feng and Lexi Thompson 70, Karrie Webb 75 and Cristie Kerr 77. Park spent much of the early part of last year sidelined with a left thumb injury, and the break helped give it time to heal. Wie, who had eight birdies and a pair of bogeys Thursday, has managed just one top-10 finish since 2014 and only got into the $1.5 million LPGA tournament on a sponsor's invitation after her ranking slumped to No. 179. But she was in vintage touch Thursday despite playing in tricky winds and light rain. Radical plans to speed up and simplify golf Golf's rule-makers unveiled Wednesday a radical set of proposals they hope will simplify and speed up the game, with Tiger Woods quick to give his high-profile backing. The R&A and United States golf Association (USGA) want to eliminate many penalties, including for accidentally moving your ball marker on the green, and reduce the total number of rules from 34 to 24. The R&A is seeking feedback on the plans until the end of August, with any amendments to be made before the new rules come into effect from Jan. 1, 2019. "We are really about modernizing the rules of golf and, in very simple terms, trying to make them easier to understand and apply," said David Rickman, the R&A's executive director of governance. The proposals include cutting the search time for lost balls from five minutes to three and allowing players to drop a ball from any height when taking relief, rather than shoulder-height as is the case now. One idea that may provoke heated debate — especially on the LPGA Tour, where it is most prevalent — is forbidding caddies to help players line up putts. Other measures include no longer obliging professionals to repair spike marks made by their shoes and scrapping the rule that penalizes players who are struck by their own ball. The end of the shoulder-height ball drop would mean no repeat of the scene at last year's US PGA Championship when Jordan Spieth endured a 10-minute delay. "That took longer because of the intricacy involved and the ability for players to be more precise means this can be sped up," Rickman added. — Agencies
