Lewis leads by 2 in France

12:16 PM, Jul 26, 2012   |    comments
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Evian-les-Bains, France (Sports Network) - Stacy Lewis ran off seven consecutive birdies on Thursday en route to a 9-under 63 and the first-round lead at the Evian Masters.

Lewis, who has won twice this season on the LPGA Tour, finished second at this event last year.

Hee Young Park is alone in second place at 7-under 65, while Ilhee Lee is one back at minus-6. Mariajo Uribe and Mika Miyazato share fourth at 5-under 67.

Paula Creamer, the 2005 winner, and Shanshan Feng, the LPGA Champion, are tied for sixth at 4-under 68 at Evian Masters Golf Club.

It was another tough day for women's world No. 1 Yani Tseng. She had one birdie and five bogeys in a round of 4-over 76. That was her 12th straight round of par or worse, dating back to the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Lewis started her round with four straight pars before catching fire. She birdied the fifth and sixth, both par-4s. Lewis followed with a birdie on the par-5 seventh.

The three-time LPGA Tour winner converted a birdie on the par-3 eighth and made it five in a row as she birdied the par-5 ninth.

Lewis wasn't finished. She birdied her first two holes around the turn to get to 7-under after 11 holes. With two par-5s remaining, there was an outside chance at 59, but those dreams were dashed as Lewis ran off five pars in a row from the 12th.

At the par-3 17th, Lewis rolled in her eighth birdie of the day to take a 1- stroke lead. She closed with a birdie at the last to extend her lead to two.

Defending champion Ai Miyazato mixed four birdies and three bogeys in a round of 1-under 71.

MORE TO FOLLOW.

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