LPGA TOUR AT MOBILE, ALABAMA

Azahara (65) leads, Janice Moodie
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joint fourth on 67


Last year's British women's open amateur champion Azahara Munoz from Spain shot a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Katherine Hull and Jee Young Lee in the Bell Micro LPGA Classic.
Munoz, who played four years on the US women's college circuit as an Arizona State University student and won the 2008 NCAA individual title, had a bogey-free round on The Crossings Course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Magnolia Grove complex, Mobile in Alabama.
"This morning I couldn't get up," said Munoz, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who had a 6:50 a.m. tee time off the 10th tee. "But once I'm up and I get going, it's fine."
Glasgow's Janice Moodie, Cristie Kerr, Meena Lee, and Hye Jung Choi shot 67s, and Suzann Pettersen, Eunjung Yi, Sun Young Yoo and Amanda Blumenherst opened with 68s.
Jiyai Shin, No. 1 in the world ranking following Lorena Ochoa's retirement two weeks ago after the Tres Marias Championship in Mexico, had a 70.
Japanese star Ai Miyazato, the Tres Marias winner for her third victory in the first five events this season, also opened with a 70. Michelle Wie shot a 72.
The tournament wasn't played in 2009 because of course renovation work. In September 2008 at Magnolia Grove, Angela Stanford beat Shanshan Feng by a stroke. Stanford shot a 70 on Thursday.
Munoz hit every fairway and missed only one green in regulation -- on No. 11 when she holed out of a greenside bunker for her first birdie of the round.
"I was playing really well," said Munoz, making her second LPGA Tour start of the year and fifth overall. "Actually, a lot of putts didn't go in, but every putt I hit had a chance."
The 2009 Women's British Amateur champion at Harlech in Wales tied for 31st at Tres Marias, opening with a 65, then adding rounds of 76, 79 and 69.
"The first round (at Tres Marias), I just went out there and played normal and I played really well, like today," she said. "Then the second round, I started thinking of my swing. That was a big mistake, because that course is very technical.
"Obviously, I was disappointed after a great first round, but I think I learned a lot. I have to stay in the present, one shot at a time."
Hull, from Australia, had seven birdies and a bogey.
"I made a really stupid bogey on 11 (her second hole), so it kind of ticked me off," Hull said. "After that, I was like, `Right, game on. It got me fired up.'"
Kerr was pleased with her 68.
"Any time you're shooting in the 60s and lower you're doing a lot of stuff right," Kerr said. "This is only the first day of the tournament."
Mhairi McKay, the second Scot in the field, had a disappointing 78.

SCOREBOARD
Bell Micro LPGA Classic
RTJ Golf Trail, Magnolia Grove, The Crossings, Mobile, Alabama
FIRST ROUND
Par 72
65 Azahara Munoz (Spa)
66 Jee Young Lee (Kor), Katherine Hull (Aus)
67 Meena Lee (Kor), Cristie Kerr, Janice Moodie (Sco), Hye Jung Choi (Kor)
68 Sun Young Yoo (Kor), Eunjung Yi (Kor), Suzann Pettersen (Nor), Amanda Blumenherst
69 Irene Cho, Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor), Marianne Skarpnord (Nor), Lorie Kane (Can), Haeji Kang (Kor), Michele Redman, Karine Icher (Fra), Na Yeon Choi (Kor), Se Ri Pak (Kor), Hee Young Park (Kor)
70 Mika Miyazato (Jpn), Karen Stupples (Eng), Morgan Pressel, Liz Janangelo, Amy Yang, Brittany Lincicome, Song-Hee Kim (Kor), Charlotte Mayorkas, Ai Miyazato (Jpn), Jiyai Shin (Kor), Jimin Kang (Kor), Amy Hung (Tai), Angela Stanford, Karin Sjodin (Swe), Danielle Downey
71 Taylor Leon, Stacy Prammanasudh, Chella Choi (Kor), Juli Inkster, Karrie Webb (Aus), Heather Bowie Young, Inbee Park (Kor), Katie Futcher, Libby Smith, Moira Dunn, Jeong Jang (Kor), Shanshan Feng (Chn), Kyeong Bae (Kor), Mariajo Uribe (Col), Hee-Won Han (Kor), Wendy Ward, Meaghan Francella, Pernilla Lindberg (Swe)
72 Wendy Doolan (Aus), Lisa Meldrum, Jill McGill, Sarah Lee, Mindy Kim, Michelle Wie, Katie Kempter, Natalie Gulbis, Becky Morgan (Wal), Sophie Gustafson (Swe), M.J. Hur (Kor), Allison Hanna-Williams, Stacy Lewis
73 Anna Grzebien, Diana D'Alessio, Brittany Lang, Leta Lindley, Yani Tseng (Tai), Soo-Yun Kang (Kor), Sarah Kemp (Aus), Allison Fouch, Kris Tschetter, Giulia Sergas (Ita), Jennifer Rosales (Phi), Na On Min (Jpn), Christina Kim, Kristy McPherson, Leah Wigger, Anna Rawson (Aus), Kris Tamulis, Stephanie Louden, Ji-Young Oh (Kor), Samantha Richdale, Laura Diaz
74 Tania Elosegui (Spa), Jean Reynolds, Vicky Hurst, Silvia Cavalleri (Ita), Mi-Hyun Kim (Kor), Louise Friberg (Swe), Casie Cathrea, Song yi Choi (Kor), Mina Harigae, Il Mi Chung (Kor), Sarah-Jane Smith (Aus), Candie Kung (Tai), Momoko Ueda (Jpn), Jin Young Pak (Kor), Maria Hernandez (Spa), Nicole Hage, Sherri Steinhauer
75 Beth Bader, Il-hee Lee (Kor), Reilley Rankin, Lucy Kim (Kor), Pat Hurst, Grace Park (Kor), Paola Moreno, Paige Mackenzie, Jimin Jeong, Mi-sun Cho (Kor), Marcy Hart
76 Young-A Yang (Kor), Beatriz Recari (Spa), Eun Hee Ji (Kor), In Kyung Kim (Kor), Sandra Gal (Ger), Julieta Granada (Par), Meredith Duncan, Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Michelle Ellis, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe), Nicole Jeray, Alena Sharp (Can), Meg Mallon
77 Jane Park, Brandie Burton, Maria Hjorth (Swe), Liselotte Neumann (Swe), Nicole Castrale, Russy Gulyanamitta (Tha), Dina Ammaccapane
78 Jackie Gallagher-Smith, Lisa Strom (Gbr), Mhairi McKay (Sco), Louise Stahle (Swe), Dorothy Delasin
79 Gloria Park (Kor), Kelli Kuehne
80 Angela Park (Bra)