Lincicome is happy

Breathe.

Any time Brittany Lincicome felt like she hit a poor shot, she took a deep breath. Lincicome, a double winner on the LPGA Tour, then went into what she termed a “happy place.”

Whether it entailed thinking about Bunker -- Lincicome’s 100-pound rottweiler -- fishing or country music, the positive thinking resulted in what Lincicome described as “surreal.”

After faring no better than tied for 39th in three LPGA tour starts this year, Lincicome finished Thursday with a leading six-under-par 66 first-round performance at Mission Hills Country Cub in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

“I tried not to get too mad at myself if I hit a bad shot,” said Lincicome, whose score is her lowest since the opening round of the 2007 Evian Masters. “If you would have told me [I would shoot a 66] this morning, I would have taken it and ran.”

Brittany Lang tied for second with Angela Stanford and Ji Young Oh at five-under 67. Kristy McPherson shot a 68, and Yani Tseng, Ji-Hee Lee, Song-Hee Kim, Christina Kim, Katherine Hull and Jee Young Lee followed at 69.

Six players finished at 70, including Paula Creamer, with 12 others at 71, including Michelle Wie.

“I was a little shaky at the beginning,” said Wie, who found the fairway nine times in 14 tries. “But I was able to calm myself, and I made some good shots, and I feel confident with that.”

The slick greens that lasted all morning wound up giving Lincicome and many others confidence as they saw putts sink with barely a touch of a stroke. The greens should harden today with dry wind gusts expected to be between 20 and 30 mph.

“I was happy I played in the morning,” Lang said. “There’s no wind. The course is in perfect condition.”

That didn’t help defending champion Lorena Ochoa, however. She opened with a 73 three years after opening with a 62. She had three bogeys and no birdies on the front nine.

“I got in trouble from the tee,” said Ochoa, who hit only four of 14 fairways. “When you’re playing in a major championship, I’m not so good in the morning. I think it was a good way to start a couple under. I’m pretty upset that I didn’t take advantage of that.”

But Lincicome did. She also took advantage of Oh, her playing partner. With Oh hitting 14 greens and sinking seven birdies, Lincicome likened playing with her to match play. She hit the green 16 times and had eight birdies.

“She would make a 30-footer for birdie and I would top it,” Lincicome said of Oh. “I would make one and she would come on top of mine. So it was really just a fun day.”

And she also wagered $20 on the putting green with Stanford during practice rounds. She claimed “we came out even,” but acknowledged, “she beat me a couple times.”

If Lincicome keeps it up at the first major championship of the season, first prize of $300,000 will await. She says she’ll just have to make sure to breathe and think those happy thoughts.

“If I hit a bad shot, it would take me five holes to recover and get it back to where I’m calmed down and relaxed enough to make another birdie,” Lincicome said. “I’m finally hitting it really well and thinking positive.”

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mark.medina@latimes.com