World number one Lorena Ochoa and 2007 champion Cristie Kerr shared the clubhouse lead on Thursday early in the first round of the US Women's Open golf championship at Saucon Valley Country Club. Ochoa rolled in a zigzag, 50-foot birdie putt at her 11th hole, the 435-yard second at the 6,740-yard Old Course, and dropped in a 15-foot downhill putt on the next to lift her to two-under-par which is how she finished after a 69. Kerr made a great up-and-down at the 13th to save par from deep greenside rough and then birdied the 16th to also move to two-under and finished with a share of the lead. American Jean Reynolds, a 24-year-old player on the US Futures Tour, reached three-under with a birdie at 14 before bogeying the next to join compatriot Kerr and Mexico's Ochoa on 69. Among the afternoon starters, Choi Na-yeon of South Korea birdied her first three holes to reach three under par. Sub-par scores were at a premium on the tree-lined parkland course that featured slick, sloping greens and devilish pins. Of the 78 early starters, Park Hee-young of South Korea was the only other player to break par. The 22-year-old also reached three under before a double-bogey at the par-three 17th forced her to settle for a one-under 70. Yani Tseng, the 2008 LPGA Championship winner, soared to a 77, Australian Katherine Hull and American Angela Stafford shot 78s, and Yi Eun-jung, last week's tournament winner, posted 80. Green leads Laird by 1 In Scotland, Martin Laird came home and put on a show in the Scottish Open, twice chipping in for birdie on his way to a 6-under 65 that left him one shot behind Richard Green after the opening round on Thursday. Laird was born in Glasgow and would stand outside the ropes at Loch Lomond, dreaming of a career in golf. He just never imagined it would take such a curious route. His grandparents, who live across the country in Fife, watched him play for the first time. So did his parents, his girlfriend and an uncle, giving him more fans than he gets in America. Laird delivered a bogey-free round that included consecutive birdies at the end to join a crowd atop the leaderboard. Green was satisfied after hitting a 3-wood from 250 yards to 35 feet on the par-5 13th, and the eagle putt that followed. That sent him to a 64 and a one-shot lead over Laird, Paul McGinley, Graeme Storm and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. Adam Scott was miles away from a game that put him as high as No. 3 in the world, although he appears headed in the right direction, too. With tennis star Ana Ivanovic watching in the gallery, Scott played bogey-free and opened with a 66. Buick Invitational winner Nick Watney had the best score among a strong contingent of US PGA Tour regulars, opening with a 67. John Daly threatened to join the leaders until three bogeys on the back nine dropped him to a 69. Also at 69 were Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas, all of whom played in the afternoon in breezy conditions. In his first tournament since knighthood, Sir Nick Faldo opened with a 71.
