Castrale (65) wants new LPGA twist

For the second time in four years, Nicole Castrale topped the leaderboard after the first round of the LPGA Championship.

This time, if she can avoid twisting her ankle on a pesky drain, Castrale might leave Bulle Rock with a memory worth cherishing.

Castrale birdied six of the first nine holes and shot a seven-under-par 65 Thursday to take a one-shot lead over rookie Anna Nordqvist.

Castrale’s six-under 30 was the lowest score on the front nine at Bulle Rock since the tournament moved from DuPont Country Club in 2005. Taking advantage of a wet course that rendered the greens slow and true, Castrale played virtually flawless golf until a drive into the rough on 18 led to her only bogey of the day.

The last time Castrale had a record-setting round at Bulle Rock was in 2006, when she opened with a career-low 64. No one in tournament history shot that before at Bulle Rock, and no one has done it since.

But Castrale followed that with a 75, then stepped in a drain after leaving the fitness trailer that night. She sprained her left ankle and ended up tied for 34th in a tournament won by Se Ri Pak.

“I walked home with my shoe in my hand and an ice bag,” she recalled. “I had it taped for two or three months.”

Lesson learned.

“I’ve walked by that drain the past three years, and now you can’t get to it because the tents are on it. So that’s a good thing,” Castrale said.

Shanshan Feng of China was third at 67, with seven players tied at 68.