Inksters birthday

HALL of Fame golfer Juli Inkster celebrated her 50th birthday in style as she moved into contention on day one of the LPGA Championship, the second women's major of the year.

Fellow Americans Stacy Lewis and Cristie Kerr and South Korean Seon Hwa Lee shared the first-round lead at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, after shooting four-under-par 68s to top a crowded leaderboard.

English-born Australian Lindsey Wright is one of three women one stroke behind the leaders, sharing second spot with Japan's Mika Miyazato and Inbee Park of South Korea with Inkster two shots further back in a tie for 11th after shooting a 71 on a wet and windy day in upstate New York.

Inkster, a seven-time major champion and two-time LPGA Championship winner, had led the field at four-under after 11 holes before carding bogeys on 13, 14, 15 and 18.

"I played really well," Inkster said. "I hit a couple of wayward drives on the backside that got me in trouble. I thought it played really tough out there with the wind and the rain, and the fairways are very narrow. But I thought I hit a lot of good shots."

Reigning Women's British Open champion Catriona Matthew of Scotland had a 74.