SAN ANTONIO — Charley Hoffman took advantage of calmer afternoon conditions to take the first-round lead in the wind-swept Texas Open, shooting a 5-under 67 Thursday. After wind gusts threatening 40mph pummeled the morning starters, Hoffman faced steady 15mph wind in the afternoon at TPC San Antonio. He had the lone bogey-free round, birdieing Nos. 2, 3, 9, 11 and 17. The winner last year in Mexico at the start of the wraparound season, Hoffman has eight top-10 finishes in nine appearances in San Antonio. He was second in 2011 and third in 2013. Aaron Baddeley was second after a 68. The Australian had a remarkable birdie on the par-4 17th when he snap-hooked his drive deep into thick woods, went back to the tee and holed out from 336 yards. “That was crazy,” Baddeley said. “I hit it, started walking, and the crowd starts going nuts. So, I'm ‘Wait. I just made birdie.' It rolls up and goes in.” Max Homa had a 69, and Phil Mickelson and Ryan Palmer shot 70. Jordan Spieth opened with a 71. From the 69 players in the morning, 23 failed to break 80. Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson managed to keep it in the 70s. US Open champion Martin Kaymer had two triple bogeys in an 82. Defending champion Steven Bowditch opened with an 80. Sam Burns, an 18-year-old high school senior from Sherevport, Louisiana, who earned a spot in the field by winning the Junior PGA Championship last summer, carded an 89 with a quadruple bogey at No. 9. Lee grabs Kia lead In California, Mirim Lee birdied all four par-5 holes and finished with a bogey-free 7-under 65 Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kia Classic. Lee took the outright lead with an 8-foot putt on the par-5 fifth — her 14th hole in her afternoon round at Aviara — and hit a wedge to 3 feet to set up her final birdie on the par-5 eighth. The 24-year-old South Korean player won LPGA Tour events last year in Michigan and China. Lee had only 25 putts, holing 40-footers for birdies on Nos. 16 and 17. She struggled last week in Phoenix, finishing 77th in the Founders Cup. Yani Tseng, winless in 70 starts since her victory in the 2012 event at nearby La Costa, had a 66. She finished with a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th after hitting a 150-yard, 7-iron shot from near a fairway bunker with the ball well above her feet — and water to the right of the green. Top-ranked Lydia Ko was two strokes back at 67 in the final event before the first major of the season, the ANA Inspiration next week in Rancho Mirage. The 17-year-old New Zealander has 10 straight top-10 finishes and has broken par in her last 25 LPGA Tour rounds — four short of Annika Sorenstam's record set in 2004 — and 28 worldwide. Hall of Famer Karrie Webb, Cristie Kerr and Lin Xiyu also shot 67. Second-ranked Inbee Park, No. 3 Stacy Lewis and No. 4 Hyo Joo Kim were at 68 along with Lexi Thompson, Brittany Lang, Austin Ernst, Laura Diaz, In Gee Chun, Jackie Stoelting and Karine Icher. Michelle Wie opened with a 69. She has an endorsement deal with title sponsor Kia. Defending champion Anna Nordqvist shot a 72. — Agencies
