Japanese rookie Ueda shares lead at Stanford golf

Japan's Momoko Ueda and South Korea's Young Kim are part of a trio that lead a group of seven by one stroke after the opening round of the LPGA Stanford Invitational.

Rookie Ueda fired a three-under 68 to join Kim and American Paula Creamer at the top of the leaderboard. Ueda rolled in six birdies and made bogey three times during Thursday's play.

Lorena Ochoa, the winner of the last four LPGA events, is skipping this event after winning last week's Ginn Open.

With Ochoa missing from this two million event, 20 players shot under par in the first round - including Annika Sorenstam, who signed for a two-under 69 to pull into a seven-way tie for fourth place.

Sorenstam, Creamer and Louise Friberg are the only players other than Ochoa who have won on tour thus far this season.

Sorenstam and Creamer both were victorious in Hawaii when Ochoa was not in the field.

Taiwanese rookie Yani Tseng, who finished second at last week's event, is one shot off the pace with a first-round 69.

Suzann Pettersen, who still is looking for her first victory this season after winning five times in 2007, shot an even-par 71 and is tied with nine others in 21st place.