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The 54-year-old compiled six birdies to join fellow Americans
Cristie Kerr and Sydnee Michaels at five-under-par 66 at the Las
Colinas Country Club in Irving.
It was a dismal day for world number one Lydia Ko, however. The
18-year-old stumbled to a four-over 75 and is in danger of
missing an LPGA cut for the first time.
Ko, who last Sunday posted her seventh LPGA victory, was
cruising along at two-under until she dropped six shots in a
three-hole stretch, with a triple bogey -- where she lost a ball
in a tree -- followed by a double and then a bogey.
The Kiwi will donate any prize money accrued this week to the
Nepal earthquake relief fund, but will need a strong second
round simply to make the cut.
Inkster, who won the first of her 31 LPGA titles almost 14 years
before Ko was born, ran into a bit of form with a tie for 15th
last week, and stepped it up a gear on Thursday.
Inkster will captain the U.S. Solheim Cup team that will play
Europe in September, and she did some bonding by taking several
of her likely team members to dinner with the former U.S.
president earlier in the week.
It was probably one of the top three things I ever did, just
listening to him, the stories and how passionate he is about the
United States, the respect he has for the people over there
fighting for freedom and stuff like that, Inkster told
reporters.
I just had a great time, and everybody got on that bus when we
were going home, I could see it in their eyes that they also
felt that it was a really special occasion, something that you
maybe only get to do once in your lifetime.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by
Peter Rutherford)
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