Spain's Beatriz Recari, American Ryann O'Toole and Italy's Giulia Sergas shared the lead after Thursday's first round of the LPGA Championship with top-ranked Yani Tseng seven strokes adrift. Recari, Sergas and O'Toole each fired three-under par 69s to sit atop the leaderboard after day one of the $2.5 million major championship, which also served as the pro debut for Tiger Woods' niece, Cheyenne Woods, who shot 75. Recari began on the back nine, took a bogey at the 11th, and then birdied three holes in a row starting at the par-4 14th on her way to the top of the leaderboard. One shot behind the co-leaders were Japan's Ai Miyazato and Mika Miyazato, Americans Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer and South Koreans Se Ri Pak, Na Yeon Choi and Jeong Jang. But defending champion Tseng of Taiwan, a five-time major champion at age 23 and winner in three of the first five LPGA tournaments of the season, matched her worst round of the year, a 76, to put herself in danger of missing the cut. “I just couldn't hit a shot, couldn't hit on the green, couldn't hit on the fairway,” Tseng said. “It was really tough for me out there. I was very disappointed. I love the golf course and I know I can have a low score here.” Woods, playing on a sponsor's exemption, qualified for the US Women's Open last week and was excited about launching her pro career although she, too, was struggling to reach the weekend at Locust Hill Country Club. “I've been waiting, waiting for this moment,” Woods said. “I was a little nervous starting off, but it felt good to be out there and finally playing. I'm pretty happy with how I played. I had a few blips.” Westwood holds onto 3-shot lead Lee Westwood maintained a three-shot lead in the Nordea Masters by carding a 4-under 68 in the third round at Bro Hof Slott Club in Sweden Friday. Westwood, at 16-under overall, will attempt to win the Swedish Masters in Saturday's final round for the third time in his career, having won the title in 1996 and 2000. Another Englishman, Ross Fisher, was in second place at 13-under, and there was still a chance a Swede could win the home title for a third successive year following Alexander Noren in 2011 and Richard Johnson in 2010. Westwood's 2010 Ryder Cup teammate Peter Hansen shot 69 to lead the Swedish challenge in third place on 12-under, four off the pace. Fisher went out in the last group at the Wales Open last weekend but fell back into sixth place after being penalized a shot and fined €6,000 for slow play as he lined up a putt on the 14th green.
