Burton, King Linked by Sub-Par Rounds

Brandie Burton and Betsy King mastered the wind, the rain and a demanding links course Thursday to take the lead in the Women’s British Open with the only sub-par rounds of the day.

They shot one-under 71s in conditions that left players such as Se Ri Pak, Laura Davies, Liselotte Neumann and defending champion Karrie Webb in the high 70s at the Royal Lytham course in Lytham St. Anne’s, England.

Two-time champion Webb started with a 76; Pak, winner of two majors in her rookie season, labored to a 78; and Davies and Neumann struggled to 79s.

“Club selection was very trying and wore you down mentally,” said Burton, who was among the early starters. “You didn’t know what would happen downwind when the ball was in the air.”

King, on her 43rd birthday, went out three hours later when the wind was even stronger. She could have had the lead outright but was bothered by the conditions at the 17th and took a bogey.

*

Kellee Booth, who shattered tournament records for medal-play qualifying earlier in the week at the 98th U.S. Women’s Amateur championship, rolled past two opponents on the first day of match play Thursday at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Booth of Coto de Caza beat Eve Lux of Highland, N.Y., 6 and 5, in the morning and came back with a 5-and-4 victory over Leilani Bagby of Santa Monica.

If Booth wins her morning match today, she could play U.S. Women’s Open runner-up Jenny Chuasiriporn in the afternoon quarterfinals. Chuasiriporn also advanced with two victories Thursday.

Booth’s easy victories came a day after the 22-year-old broke qualifying records for 18 holes (6-under-par 66) and two rounds (138) to earn medalist honors. She’s been on a roll since she went undefeated to help the U.S. reclaim the Curtis Cup from Britain-Ireland last month.

*

Fountain Valley’s Candie Kung leads U.S. girls’ junior amateur champion Leigh Anne Hardin of Martinsville, Ind., by one stroke after three rounds of the Independent Insurance Agent Junior Classic at Oaktree County Club in Edmond, Okla.

Kung, who shot a 72 Thursday, is at 214, four-over par. Hardin shot a 69 Thursday. The Independent Insurance Agent tournament is one of the stops on the junior circuit’s unofficial grand slam. The final round on the par-70 course will be played today.