REUNION, Fla. (AP) — Lorena Ochoa got off to a solid start Thursday in a bid for her fourth consecutive victory and fifth in six starts this year.
Playing for the fourth straight week, Ochoa shot a 4-under 68 in the first round of the Ginn Open to finish a stroke behind leaders Carin Koch and Teresa Lu.
Ochoa had plenty of company there, too.
Karrie Webb, Suzann Pettersen, Charlotte Mayorkas, Mhairi McKay, Allison Fouch and Yani Tseng also were a stroke back.
But for the first time in a while, the field wasn't chasing the world's No. 1 player. Ochoa led start to finish in her native Mexico last week in an 11-stroke victory at the Corona Championship.
"Of course, I like my position right now," Ochoa said. "I'm not usually a player that comes from behind. It's impossible, I guess, to be winning a tournament by seven shots the first day. You have to move your way out there. That's why I feel very happy with my round."
She also enjoyed a seven-stroke win at the Safeway International three weeks ago, then followed with a five-shot victory in the first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
She has won four of five events this year and is looking to become the first player since Annika Sorenstam in 2001 to win four consecutive starts.
She probably would have been out front Thursday had she not missed short birdie putts on Nos. 1, 2 and 3 to start her back nine. It got worse when she three-putted the par-4 eighth and made her only bogey of the round. But she rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 ninth.
Ochoa said she played a little cautiously on a windy day with dry fairways and fast greens. But with a morning tee time Friday, Ochoa expected to be much more aggressive.
"I in position and I'm going to make sure I give myself a good chance to win the tournament," she said.
