Miyazato motivated by chase for No 1 status

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
NORTH PLAINS, Oregon (AP) — Japan's Ai Miyazato has set her sights on reclaiming her No. 1 status.
Miyazato shot a 6-under 66 on Friday for the first-round lead at the Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club west of Portland.
Miyazato had a one-stroke lead on Teresa Lu of Taiwan and Jee Young Lee of South Korea.
Miyazato is in a five-way battle for the world's top ranking. American Cristie Kerr is currently No. 1, followed by Miyazato, Jiyai Shin of South Korea, Suzann Pettersen of Norway and Yani Tseng of Taiwan.
"It's really fun, really exciting because the top five players all represent different countries, so it's really a good motivator for me," Miyazato said.
In a changing of the guard since the retirement of Lorena Ochoa earlier this year, Miyazato, Kerr and Shin have traded the top ranking six times in the past three months.
"Even though it was just for two weeks, I was so very happy," Miyazato said about her time on top. "I was happy because I experienced something that I never really experienced before, and so it will just be really good for my future as my career goes on."
Miyazato has won four times on tour this season.
Also making a case is the 21-year-old Tseng, who won the Women's British Open on Aug. 1 for her second major victory of the season and third in three years. The Kraft Nabisco winner in April, Tseng made a 6-foot par putt on the final hole at Royal Birkdale for a one-stroke victory over Katherine Hull. She also won the 2008 LPGA Championship.
But Tseng shot a 3-over 75 at the Safeway.
South Korea's Chella Choi, Taiwan's Amy Hung, Japan's Momoko Ueda and American Brittany Lincicome were two strokes off the lead with 4-under 68s. Veteran Juli Inkster joined a large group at 3 under.
M.J. Hur is the defending champion of the tournament nestled in farmland at the base of the Cascade Range about a 20min drive west of Portland. She won her first-ever title by beating Pettersen with a birdie on the second playoff hole.
Hur shot a 74 on Friday on the 6,546-yard Ghost Creek Course. It is the tournament's second year on the rural course after 19 years at Columbia Edgewater County Club.
The top-ranked Kerr, who won the event in 2008 at Columbia Egdewater, shot a 70. Michelle Wie, looking for her second victory after taking last year's Lorena Ochoa Invitational, was at even par going into Saturday's second round.
Fan favourite Natalie Gulbis had to withdraw because of ongoing back trouble.

FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
66 Ai Miyazato (Jpn)
67 Jee Young Lee (SKor), Teresa Lu (Tai)
68 Chella Choi (SKor), Momoko Ueda (Jpn), Amy Hung (Tai), Brittany Lincicome
69 Stephanie Louden, Jiyai Shin (SKor), Na Yeon Choi (SKor), Eun Hee Ji (SKor), Juli Inkster, Mina Harigae
70 Adrienne White (Can), Cristie Kerr, Laura Davies (Eng), Dorothy Delasin
71 Morgan Pressel, Inbee Park (SKor), Brittany Lang, Suzann Pettersen (Nor), Iben Tinning (Den), Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Gloria Park (SKor), Nicole Jeray, Alena Sharp (Can), Stacy Lewis, Shanshan Feng (Chn)
72 Giulia Sergas (Ita), Lisa Meldrum, Na On Min (Jpn), Jean Bartholomew, Beth Bader, Karrie Webb (Aus), Amy Yang (Kor), Song-Hee Kim (Kor), Jimin Kang (SKor), Michelle Wie, Pernilla Lindberg (Swe), Sherri Steinhauer, Allison Fouch, Kyeong Bae (Kor), Cathryn Bristow (Nzl)
73 Tanya Dergal, Jennifer Rosales (Phi), Il Mi Chung (Kor), Meena Lee (Kor), Christina Kim, Cindy Lacrosse, Hee-Won Han (Kor), Pat Hurst, Candie Kung (Tai), Vicky Hurst, Aree Song (Kor), Yoo kyeong Kim (Kor), In-Kyung Kim (Kor), Becky Morgan (Wal), Samantha Richdale, Alison Walshe, Hee Young Park (Kor)
74 Il-hee Lee (Kor), Reilley Rankin, Kristy McPherson, Anna Rawson (Aus), Ashli Bunch, Paula Creamer, Jane Park, Ji-Young Oh (Kor), Louise Friberg (Swe), Paola Moreno, Paige Mackenzie, M.J. Hur (SKor), Sophie Gustafson (Swe), Hwa seon Lee (Kor), Danielle Downey, Katherine Hull (Aus)
75 Lindsey Wright (Aus), Stacy Prammanasudh, Irene Cho, Jill McGill, Liz Janangelo, Lorie Kane (Can), Haeji Kang (SKor), Sandra Gal (Ger), Russy Gulyanamitta (Tha), Amy Simanton, Leta Lindley, Jennifer Song, Yani Tseng (Tai), Mikaela Parmlid (Swe), Lisa Strom (Gbr), Mika Miyasato (Tha)
76 Christi Cano, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor), Jamie Hullett, Diana D'Alessio, Michele Redman, Katie Futcher, Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Michelle Ellis, Belen Mozo (Spa), Libby Smith, Sarah Lee (Kor), Louise Stahle (Swe), Wendy Ward, Kris Tamulis, Mallory Blackwelder, Eunjung Yi (Kor), Maria Hernandez (Spa)
77 Heather Bowie young, Rachel Hetherington (Aus), Azahara Munoz (Spa), Soo-Yun Kang (Kor), Angela Stanford, Moira Dunn, Mariajo Uribe (Col), Karen Stupples (Eng), Sun Young Yoo (Kor), Brandie Burton, Catriona Matthew (Sco), Sarah-jane Smith (Aus), Maria Hjorth (Swe), Meredith Duncan, Kristina Merkle, Nicole Hage, Amanda Blumenherst
78 Mindy Kim (Kor), Jean Reynolds, Nannette Hill, Angela Park (Bra), Karine Icher (Fra), Mi-sun Cho (Kor)
79 Taylor Leon, Mi-Hyun Kim (Kor), Karin Sjodin (Swe), Janice Moodie (Sco), Dina Ammaccapane
80 Young-A Yang (Kor), Kelli Kuehne, Katie Kempter, Beatriz Recari (Spa), Allison Hanna-Williams, Leah Wigger, Christine Song
81 Jimin Jeong, Julieta Granada (Par), Sarah Kemp (Aus)
85 Kris Tschetter
WD: 78 Jeong Jang (Kor), 82 Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor