Webb Makes Herself at Home With a 67

It’s been Annika Sorenstam’s year. It’s always Karrie Webb’s British Open.

Webb, the defending champion and a three-time winner of the tournament, shot a five-under-par 67 Thursday at Lytham St. Annes, England, and shared the first-round lead with Wendy Ward.

One stroke behind was Sorenstam, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer who has already won a major this year.

Among the players at 69 were Se Ri Pak, winner of four majors including the Women’s British Open in 2001, Lorie Kane, Shani Waugh and Jennifer Rosales.

U.S. Open champion Hilary Lunke struggled to a six-over 78 on her first visit to Lytham.

Webb hasn’t won since last year’s British Open, but she finished fourth last week at the Evian Masters.

“I just looked where I needed to hit it and for the most part hit it there,” said Webb who played the par-fives in five-under par.

“I’ve had a round here or there where my swing has not felt good and I’ve had a 75 or 76 and it sort of sets me back a bit. But last week I swung it well for four days and felt pretty good about coming in here.”

Webb, who won the tournament at Woburn in her rookie season in 1995 and also at Sunningdale two years later, made an eagle at the par-five, 455-yard 15th. She hit a three-wood to within 25 feet and made the putt. She holed a 40-foot putt at the 17 hole for her fifth birdie.

Ward, playing for the first time on the tricky Lytham links, had six birdies.

Sorenstam produced the form that has made her the most consistent player in women’s golf.

She bogeyed No. 3, where she found her only bunker of the day, and No. 15, where her third shot found deep rough and she took two more to reach the green.

But she made six birdies, including a 32-foot putt at No. 17, and took advantage of surprisingly calm conditions on a Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club course which is often battered by winds coming off the Irish Sea.

“I’m putting as good as I ever have,” she said. “I hit 15 greens, drove very well and putted well so I’m very happy. I thought I was very patient and felt very calm.”

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Tiger Woods is still searching for the swing he’ll need to win a major this year. He closed strong for a three-under 69, but he was four strokes behind Mike Sposa after the opening round of the Buick Open at Grand Blanc, Mich.

Woods, the defending champion, bogeyed his first and 10th holes before finishing with three birdies over his last six.

He is tuning up for the PGA Championship in two weeks, his last chance this season to win a major.

“I hit some pretty ugly shots,” Woods said. “I putted well, thank God.”

Carl Paulson, Craig Perks, David Sutherland and Paul Gow were one shot behind Sposa, who missed the cut in four of his last five tournaments.

Ben Curtis, playing in his first tournament since winning the British Open, was among a group of players at 68 along with U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk and John Daly.

Curtis said it was “pretty cool” to be introduced as the British Open champion.