Canada's Brooke Henderson birdied three of her final four holes en route to a four-under 67 for a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Women's PGA Championship Thursday. The 18-year-old Henderson had a hole-in-one on the 152-yard 13th hole with a seven-iron. American Christina Kim and South Korea's Kim In-kyung also played in the morning wave and were the only other players to post rounds in the 60s, with both shooting two-under 69. Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn, the hottest player on the Tour right now having won her past three tournaments, finished in a large group of players at one under. She birdied her last two holes on Thursday. The top group of the morning session featured Lydia Ko from Australia and Americans Lexi Thompson and Stacy Lewis. Ko had a pair of birdies to go with two bogeys in an even round of 71. Lewis was two under through 10 holes, but she bogeyed three of her final five holes to finish at two over. Second-ranked Park In-bee qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame by completing the first round. Active players become eligible after playing 10 years on the tour. Park, who is battling a hand injury which caused her to take time off from the Tour, is five shots off the lead. "I was quite nervous this morning. I don't think I was this nervous when I was going for a major championship," Park said. "This is a very, very special feeling. And I'm really going to enjoy Hall of Fame." Park's score of 1-over 72 didn't really matter. At 27, Park is the youngest player to qualify for the Hall of Fame. She completed the final eligibility requirement by playing the first round of her 10th event of her 10th season. She has won seven major titles and has 17 LPGA Tour victories. Hoge leads St. Jude In Los Angeles, Tom Hoge fired a bogey-free, five-under-par 65 Thursday to share the opening-round lead at the PGA Tour's $6.2 million St. Jude Classic. Shawn Stefani and South Korea's Noh Seung-Yul also carded 65s while Dustin Johnson, Brian Gay, Steve Stricker, Colt Knost, Argentina's Miguel Angel Carballo and Wales' Jamie Donaldson shared fourth place at 66. "The key to the round was hole nine. I had to lay up to 130 (yards)," the 27-year-old Hoge said. Eight players, including Justin Leonard and South Africa's Retief Goosen, are tied for 10th at 67 at the TPC Southwind course. Hoge made consecutive birdies on numbers four, five and six, then added another two straight at No. 12 and 13. Noh, 25, is seeking his second win on the PGA Tour in his 132nd event. In 2014, he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. — Agencies
