Kung leads on her 21st birthday

LPGA Tour rookie Candie Kung of Taiwan carded a 7-under 65 on her 21st birthday on Thursday to take the clubhouse lead in the opening round of the Women's British Open.

With top-10 finishes in her last two tournaments, the Taiwanese came into the tournament in form. And she raced round the tricky links with birdies at the first two holes and with four out of the last five. Kung also birdied the 10th in a bogey-free round.

Her round gave her a clubhouse lead of three over South Korea's Mi Hyun Kim and Sweden's Carin Koch with most of the other big names out on the course. Nearest to her was Germany's Elisabeth Esterl on 6 under after 14.

Kung said she took up golf seven years ago after her parents moved to the United States.

"We moved to the States in '95 and I had nothing to do at that time and that's how I got started," said Kung, who now lives at Rowland Heights, Calif.

"My brother was here for school and we had to move because of him. Now he's done with school. He caddied for me earlier in the year."

Coming off back-to-back victories on the LPGA Tour, Kim rolled in five birdie putts for her 68.

Runner up in the same tournament last year at Sunningdale, Kim mastered the Turnberry links and her longest birdie putt was from 10 feet at the first.

Although she bogeyed the par-4 second after driving into the rough, the Korean collected more birdies at seven, 14, 15 and 17 as the championship, which became one of the four majors last year, started in relatively calm conditions as opposed to the strong winds and rain normally associated with links golf.

"I like the links course," said Kim, who was just putting out at 18 while her countrywoman and defending champion Se Ri Pak was on the first tee.

"It's like a little tough. And I do like the greens here."

Winner of the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic at Squaw Creek and then the Wendy's Championship for Children at Tartan Fields, Kim -- who missed the tournament in between -- said she couldn't explain why her form this year had improved.

"I don't know. I tried to improve my game," she said.

"You know, I couldn't win last year. Maybe three times I finished second. But I tried to get a win. A lot of the Korean media wanted me to get a win and, of course, it's hard."

The field includes the four players who have dominated the majors in the past four years.

Australia's Karrie Webb has won five, Pak and Juli Inkster four each and Annika Sorenstam two.

Pak reached the turn in 2-under 34 despite a bogey 5 at the first while Sorenstam, who birdied the first and third, collected three bogeys to go to the 10th one over. Webb and Inkster were 2 under after nine.

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