WOBURN, England – Ariya Jutanugarn took the Women’s British Open lead Saturday at tree-lined Woburn, nearly four months after blowing a late lead in the first major championship of the year.

“I think I know how to play under pressure,” the 20-year-old Thai player said. “I know like what I have to focus and the only thing I have to is like focus on what is under my control.”

In early April in the ANA Inspiration in the California desert, Jutanugarn – at the time, best known for blowing a two-stroke lead with a closing triple bogey in the 2013 LPGA Thailand – bogeyed the final three holes to hand the title to Lydia Ko.

“I really get nervous, especially being my first time leading,” Jutanugarn said that afternoon at Rancho Mirage. “I got a lot of experience from this week.”

She put the hard lessons to use in May, winning three straight events to become the LPGA Tour’s first Thai champion. And Saturday, she shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 to pull two strokes ahead of Mirim Lee.

“I feel a lot more comfortable,” Jutanugarn said. “Like especially today, because I didn’t hit my iron good, but I still make some birdies.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a 2-under for a share of 40th place, while Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., both shot 1-under.

Jutanugarn birdied six of the first 14 holes and closed with four pars to reach 16-under 200 and break the tournament 54-hole scoring record. She chipped in from 90 feet for birdie on No. 8 and made a 30-footer on 10 on the Marquess Course, the hilly, forest layout that is a big change from the usual seaside links.

Lee shot a 69. The South Korean player led after each of the first two rounds, opening with a 62 and shooting a 71 on Friday.

“Everything was OK. Just OK, not perfect,” Lee said.

Mo Martin was third at 11 under after a 69. The American won the 2014 tournament at Royal Birkdale.

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, at 46 trying to become the oldest major champion, had a 71 to move into fourth at 10 under. She played alongside Jutanugarn.

“If she keeps playing like she keeps playing, she’s going to be tough to catch,” Matthew said. “But go out tomorrow and try to make as many birdies as I can.”

The top-ranked Ko was tied for 27th at 3 under after a 69. She closed with a double bogey after birdieing five of the previous seven holes.

“I just had a toffee. Sugar always helps the feelings,” Ko joked. “But I know that I still played solid out there. It’s not the greatest finish to finish with a bogey or a double. … I’ve just got to get over it.”

Stacy Lewis was 9 under after a 70. She won at St. Andrews in 2013.

“A little bit of a mess today,” the American said. “Just a few too many mistakes.”

Charley Hull, the English star playing on her home course, was tied for 40th at 2 under after a 75.

“I felt like I played pretty decent, just didn’t hole any putts,” Hull said.

Jutanugarn broke the 54-hole record of 201 set by Caroline Masson in 2011 at Carnoustie. The 72-hole mark is 269 by Karen Stupples in 2004 at Sunningdale.

To relax, the Thai player smiles as part of her pre-shot routine.

“I really want to try to be like relaxed before the shot,” said Jutanugarn, in position to jump from sixth to third in the world ranking with a victory. “I feel like whatever is going to make me happy and easy one is like smile.”

She hoped to be smiling late Sunday.

“I think it’s no pressure for me because only thing I want to is have fun,” Jutanugarn said. “So one more day, I want to have fun.”

WOBURN, England – Mirim Lee followed her opening 10-under 62 with a 71 on Friday in the Women’s British Open, leaving her a stroke ahead entering the weekend at tree-lined Woburn Golf Club.

A day after matching the tournament record and falling a stroke short of the major championship mark, the 25-year-old South Korean player had three birdies and two bogeys to reach 11-under 133.

“Today, the tee shot was a little bit difficult,” Lee said. “I had issues with my tee shot. I think I putted OK. I had a couple of three-putts, but I think with some practice, I can overcome my mistakes.”

Lee had two front-nine birdies, bogeyed the par-4 13th, birdied the par-5 15th and bogeyed the par-3 17th on the Marquess Course, the hilly, forest layout that is a big change from the seaside links that dominate the tournament rotation.

Three weeks ago at the U.S. Women’s Open, Lee opened with a 64, then followed with rounds of 74, 76 and 73 to tie for 11th. The two-time LPGA Tour winner missed the cut in the ANA Inspiration to start the major year, and tied for fourth in the KPMG Women’s PGA.

“I think it’s just a result of all the hard work I put in and, I think, most importantly, I’m just trying to have fun,” Lee said about her improved play in the majors. “That’s what’s making me feel comfortable.

Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and China’s Shanshan Feng were tied for second.

Jutanugarn had a 69. She won three straight events in May.

“I like this style so much,” Jutanugarn said about the course. “I think it fits my game. I like the course. I like everything here.”

Feng shot 68.

“I really like the course,” Feng said. “Normally, my ball-striking is not bad, so I know I’m going to hit a lot of fairways and greens. It really matters if my putting is working or not. In the past two rounds, I think my putting has been really good, so I made a lot of birdies.”

South Korea’s Ha Na Jang (67) and 46-year-old Scot Catriona Matthew (65) were 9 under.

“I’ve been playing well all year,” Matthew said. “Today, I just played really well. Hit 18 greens. Gave myself a lot of chances. The putts actually dropped today.”

Jang was upset about slow play on the back nine.

“It’s like at the front nine, just play every hole, no slow play,” Jang said. “But back nine is more windy and the more times, really late. And players a little tired, so walk slow, a little slow. The play at every hole, just stop on the tee box and second shot.”

Mo Martin (68) was 8 under, and fellow American Stacy Lewis (70) followed at 7 under.

Martin won the 2014 tournament at Royal Birkdale.

“It’s definitely a departure from links,” Martin said. “Parts of it remind me of the Pacific Northwest but there are some linksy styles in there, some of the fescues, some of the bunkering. I just love it in England.”

Lewis also is a past champion, winning at St. Andrews in 2013.

“Especially making the turn, I wasn’t really in a good place,” Lewis said. “Kind of rallied on the back and made three birdies to give myself a chance this weekend. I like where I am. Usually in these things, if you can get out there and post a number, that’s usually what wins.”

Charley Hull, the 20-year-old English star playing on her home course, had a 70 to move into a tie for 10th at 5 under. She had five birdies in a six-hole stretch in the middle of the round. “I kind of holed a few putts that I wasn’t holing and I got up-and-down,” Hull said. “I was pretty happy. I just kind of dug in.”

The fast-playing Hull was put on the clock for slow play late in the round.

“It was a bit pointless, but it’s stuff that you’ve got to deal with,” Hull said.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp leads the Canadians in the field. The Olympian recorded an even-par round and sits T15 at 4-under. Sherbrooke, Que., native Maude-Aimée Leblanc is tied for 33rd at 2-under, while Sharp’s Olympic teammate, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., holds a share of 47th at 1-under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 56th at even par after a 70. She’s coming off a victory two weeks ago in Ohio, her fourth LPGA Tour win of the year. She won the ANA Inspiration in April.

Michelle Wie missed the cut with rounds of 76 and 73.

Third-ranked Inbee Park, the winner last year at Turnberry, is sidelined by a lingering left thumb injury. She hopes to be ready to compete for South Korea in the Olympics.

WOBURN, England – Mirim Lee equaled the lowest-ever round at the Women’s British Open by shooting a 10-under 62 Thursday to take the lead on the opening day.

The South Korean had 10 birdies as she secured a three-stroke advantage over Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who carded a bogey-free round of 65 on the Marquess Course at Woburn Golf Club.

Lee matched Minea Blomqvist’s 10-under 62 in the third round of the 2004 British Open at Sunningdale.

“It was probably one of my best ever rounds, although I still had some errant shots,” Lee said. “I played every hole in a similar fashion, hitting fairways and greens. My best ever score was an 11 under par in LPGA qualifying.”

China’sShanshan Feng completed an all-Asian top three with a 6 under 66.

English star Charley Hull, playing on her home course, birdied two of the last three holes for a share of 11th place after a 3-under 69.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko and four-time major winner Laura Davies have work to do in order to make the cut after both carded 74.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp collected four birdies and an eagle on the par-4 12th hole en route to a 4-under 68. Sharp’s Olympic teammate and World No. 2 Brooke Henderson opened with a 71 to sit T31 alongside fellow Canadian Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

GURNEE, Ill. – Cristie Kerr held on for a 3-and-2 victory over Melissa Reid on Sunday to give the United States the UL International Crown.

Kerr and company were shut out in the first session of the LPGA Tour event, but they got progressively better each day. Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller each closed out wins before Reid missed a birdie putt on 16, handing the decisive victory to Kerr.

“I think I play better when there is more pressure,” said Kerr, who was the last player to tee off for the U.S.

Lewis and Piller ran to the green for a group hug with Kerr when it was over. Kerr’s caddie, Brady Stockton, grabbed the flag at 16 to save it for his player.

Lexi Thompson lost 2 and 1 to South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu, and then joined the celebration at a muggy Merit Club about 40 miles northwest of Chicago. The Americans won a silver trophy, and each of the players took home a crown and $100,000 apiece.

Lewis, Kerr and Thompson played on the U.S. team that finished a disappointing sixth in the inaugural event in 2014 in Maryland. But Piller joined the group for an American victory in the Solheim Cup last year in Germany, and their chemistry and confidence in each other was on full display when they decided to keep the same four-ball pairings after they came up empty Thursday.

“What would it be without a little drama,” Kerr said.

Kerr and Thompson teamed for wins on Friday and Saturday, and the momentum carried over into singles. Piller cruised to a 4-and-3 victory over Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, and Lewis posted a 3-and-2 win over Japan’s Mika Miyazato.

South Korea, which was the top seed coming into the event, finished second with 12 points, one back of the United States. Taiwan and England tied for third with 11, and Japan finished fifth with eight points.

South Korea and Japan each had a long day after thunderstorms postponed the final part of the third session to Sunday. South Korea advanced to the singles matches with a pair of four-ball victories against Australia, and Japan won a three-team playoff for the final spot in the singles session.

Sei Young Kim showed no signs of fatigue in a dominant 5-and-4 victory over England’s Charley Hull, but countrywomen Amy Yang and In Gee Chun lost their matches. Japan also split its four singles matches, with Haru Nomara and Ayaka Watanabe on the winning side.

England had the lead with nine points coming into the day, but it wasn’t able to keep up its surprising play. Jodi Ewart Shadoff beat Taiwan’s Ssu-Chia Cheng 1 up for the country’s only victory of the final session.

GURNEE, Ill. – Charley Hull is fresh as a daisy, and England is dreaming big.

Hull and surprising England grabbed the lead in the UL International Crown on Saturday, and the United States advanced with a sweep against Japan.

Hull, who missed Friday’s four-ball session with a fever and trouble with her asthma, teamed with Melissa Reid for a 3-and-1 victory over sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand. Holly Clyburn and Jodi Ewart Shadoff routed Pornanong Phatlum and Porani Chutichai 7 and 5, helping seventh-seeded England to a Pool B-best nine points.

“We couldn’t have asked for much of a better day than we got today,” Clyburn said.

The U.S., which began the day with just three points, turned in its best performance so far in the rare team event on the LPGA Tour. Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr posted their second straight win with a 4-and-2 victory over Ai Suzuki and Ayaka Watanabe, and Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller surged to a 3-and-1 win over Haru Nomara and Mika Miyazato.

Taiwan also wrapped up a spot in the fourth session before a lingering thunderstorm postponed play with two Pool A matches still on the course, leaving two spots open for Sunday’s 10 singles matches. The country with the most points at the end of the weekend wins a silver trophy, to go along with $100,000 and a crown for each of its four players.

Before the rain drenched the course, the players had to play through hot and humid conditions at the Merit Club about 40 miles northwest of Chicago.

“Have you ever seen the movie ‘Good Morning, Vietnam,’ where Robin Williams goes off into the tangent where it’s like, it’s hot, it’s sticky, it’s hot,” a smiling Kerr said. “It was pretty much like that.”

The 20-year-old Hull struggled to breathe for much of Thursday night and got some oxygen and an IV to help her feel better. She watched the back nine of Reid’s gutsy effort playing by herself in a close loss to Japan, and felt “fresh as a daisy” heading into the third session.

Shaking off a slow start, Hull and Reid won five straight holes to go from two down to three up. Hull had three straight birdies before she eagled the par-5 eighth. Reid closed out the string with a birdie on No. 9.

“Me and Mel both played awesome, so it was fun,” Hull said.

England did not make the field for the inaugural event in 2014, won by Spain with 15 points. It was considered an afterthought coming into this week, but the strong start has the women dreaming of what a victory could do for the sport in their country.

“You know, if we did win, hopefully it would inspire not only girls but women and men and some young guys and boys and stuff to want to take up the club and think that it’s fun and want to learn how to play this game,” Reid said.

The second-seeded U.S. was swept by England on Thursday, but it rebounded with three points against Thailand in the second session and picked up even more momentum against Japan. Piller finished her match with a birdie on 17, and Thompson beat the oncoming storm with a closing eagle on 16.

“We stuck with our pairings, and we just tried to stay positive with it and go out and play aggressive,” Thompson said. “We knew we had to make birdies and just go for it.”

Piller and Lewis were tied with Nomura and Miyazato before Piller rolled in a birdie from the fringe on 12. Piller got a good look at the putt when Lewis left one just short from right in front of her ball.

“Any time you get a free read is huge, and after she hit it, she told me what she put it at and where it ended up,” Piller said.

GURNEE, Ill. – After a rough first day of the UL International Crown, the United States never considered new pairings.

Cristie Kerr and company knew it would work itself out.

Kerr and Lexi Thompson helped the U.S. to three out of four points against Thailand on Friday, and Melissa Reid drew praise for a gutsy effort for England after her partner was sidelined by illness.

Kerr and Thompson routed Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and Porani Chutichai 4 and 3 for the Americans’ first two points after they were shut out in the first session of the LPGA Tour event. The U.S. almost got a sweep, but Gerina Piller and Stacy Lewis each missed a birdie putt on 18 and had to settle for a single point against Moriya Jutanugarn and Pornanong Phatlum.

Each of the four players were on the United States’ winning team in the 2015 Solheim Cup, and the victory in Germany helped convince them to stay with the same lineup after the opening session at Merit Club about 40 miles northwest of Chicago.

“I mean, we had so much success at Solheim Cup, and I just think we played so much together that why switch it up? It was never discussed,” Lewis said.

Lewis’ putt on 18 skirted the edge of the cup.

“I think if it was just a touch slower, 6 inches slower, it probably goes in,” she said. “But I thought it was perfect.”

With Charley Hull sidelined by a fever and complications from asthma, Reid was all alone for her four-ball match against Japan’s Haru Nomara and Mika Miyazato. Reid took it all the way to 18, where Nomura made a matching birdie to close out a 1-up win.

“For me, it’s a huge positive,” Reid said. “To get anywhere near the 18th was going to be a huge achievement, and I am just really, really pleased I gave the team a huge chance of even a point.”

Holly Clyburn and Jodi Ewart Shadoff halved their match against Ai Suzuki and Ayaka Watanabe, helping seventh-seeded England to the Pool B lead. Thailand and Japan were one back with four points apiece, and the U.S. was last after it finished sixth in the inaugural event in 2014.

Taiwan topped Pool A with six points after it split its two matches with top-seeded South Korea. Candie Kung and Ssu-Chia Cheng beat Amy Yang and In Gee Chun 2 and 1, but Yani Tseng and Teresa Lu trailed all day long in a 4-and-2 loss to Sei Young Kim and So Yeon Ryu.

South Korea was second with four points, and Australia and China were tied for third with three apiece. Australia also was shut out in the first session, but Karrie Webb and Rebecca Artis teamed for a 2-and-1 win over China’s Jing Yan and Simin Feng, and Minjee Lee and Su Oh halved their match with Xi Yu Lin and Shanshan Feng.

Lin’s birdie on 14 gave China a 2-up lead, but Lee birdied 18 to secure the point for Australia. Lee played with Artis on Thursday, and Webb was with Oh.

“I think if a few things had gone our way yesterday, we could have gotten points on the board, but it just turned out that these two pairings worked,” Webb said.

There are eight more four-ball matches Saturday. The top two teams in each pool and the winner of wild-card playoff between the third-place teams advance to Sunday’s singles matches, with each player from the winning country taking home $100,000 apiece.

The 20-year-old Hull, who helped England to a sweep of the United States on Thursday, sought medical attention when she arrived at the course. She is hoping to play on Saturday.

“I really wanted to join my partner Mel at some point during the match, but at the advice of the medical team, the best thing to do was to rest and get healthy for my team for tomorrow,” she said in a statement released by the LPGA Tour.

Reid holed out with a wedge from 70 yards on the par-4 13th, squaring the match. But Nomura birdied the final three holes to help Japan to the win.

“They finished birdie-birdie-birdie. I finished birdie-par-birdie,” Reid said. “There’s nothing you can really do. If you lose to a birdie, it’s fine.”

GURNEE, Ill. – For the United States and Taiwan, the first session of the UL International Crown was a repeat of the first day of the inaugural event two years ago.

Each country is hoping for a better weekend.

The U.S. lost both of its four-ball matches to England, and Yani Tseng helped Taiwan sweep Australia on Thursday in the rare team event on the LPGA Tour.

Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr lost 2 and 1 to Holly Clyburn and Jodi Ewart Shadoff, and Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller fell to Charley Hull and Melissa Reid by the same score. Thompson, Kerr and Lewis also were on the American team that was swept on the first day of the first International Crown in 2014 and finished sixth.

“That’s what this format is. You play good golf and you’re going to lose matches, and that’s the way it goes,” Lewis said. “We’re going to go out there and play good golf again, and hopefully we get on the good side of it. We’re still in this thing, and we’ve just got to take care of business tomorrow.”

Next up is two more days of four-ball matches at the sprawling Merit Club about 40 miles northwest of Chicago. The top two teams in each pool and the winner of wild-card playoff between the third-place teams will advance to the singles matches Sunday, with each player from the winning country taking home $100,000 apiece.

With the course set up for low scores, world No. 6 Ariya Jutanugarn made seven birdies while playing with Porani Chutichai for Thailand, but they only managed a halve against Japan’s Ai Suzuki and Ayaka Watanabe. Jutanugarn’s sister, Moriya, teamed with Pornanong Phatum for a 2-and-1 win over Haru Nomura and Mika Miyazato.

Top-seeded South Korea, with each of its four players ranked in the top 12, split its two matches against No. 8 China. Amy Yang and In Gee Chun won 2 up over Shanshan Feng and Xi Yu Lin, but Jing Yan and Simin Feng got two points for China with a 1-up victory over Sei Young Kim and So Yeon Ryu.

“The Chinese girls just played really, really great,” Ryu said. “They made an eagle, they made a bunker shot. I think their teamwork was really nice.”

Tseng and Teresa Lu went off in the first match and cruised to a 3-and-2 victory over Karrie Webb and Su Oh. Tseng and Lu then watched as Candie Kung and Ssu-Chia Cheng posted a 2-up win over Rebecca Artis and Minjee Lee.

Taiwan also won its first two matches at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland in 2014, but didn’t score another point all weekend.

“We changed a little bit about the strategy about how we’re going to play this year because we both won on the first day, like four points, but we lose them on Friday and Saturday,” Tseng said. “We kind of changed it a little bit, the teammates and the strategy on the golf course. We tried to make as much birdies as we can instead of one play aggressive and one play more smart and safe.”

Thompson and Kerr never led in their match. Clyburn closed it out with a birdie on the par-4 17th.

“We played really well on the front, and on the back we didn’t play well enough to win,” Kerr said. “A couple more putts go in, a couple better shots. I left Lexi a couple times as a partner, and you can’t do that in four-ball if you want to win.”

China and England did not make the field for the inaugural event, which is determined by the cumulative rankings of the country’s top four players on a given date. They replaced champion Spain and runner-up Sweden.

“We were saying along the way, we’re all pretty big football fans, and obviously we had the Euros recently and we made more points in one day than England did in the whole tournament, so can I just point that out,” a smiling Reid said. “So we’re pretty proud of that, so we’re already on a winner.”

Hull and Reid won three straight holes to go from 1 down to 1 up heading to the back nine. The 20-year-old Hull had three straight birdies and Reid eagled No. 8, a 468-yard par 5.

After Lewis birdied No. 15 to square the match, Hull posted an eagle and a birdie to close it out for England.

“I just love playing in this kind of environment, especially when you are a bit of an underdog,” said Hull, who is headed to the Olympics next month. “I just like proving people wrong, and it just makes you go out there, gives you a little bit more of a buzz.”

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Lydia Ko outlasted Ariya Jutanugarn and Mirim Lee to win the Marathon Classic on Sunday for her fourth LPGA Tour victory of the season.

The top-ranked Ko made a 10-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole after Jutanugarn and Lee ran into trouble.

Also the 2014 winner, Ko closed with a 2-under 69 at Highland Meadows to match Jutanugarn and Lee at 14-under 270.

The 19-year-old New Zealander has 14 LPGA Tour titles, also winning consecutive events in South California – the second the major ANA Inspiration – and later in Arkansas. She’s 4-1 in playoffs, with the loss coming to Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., this year in the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Ko missed a 5-footer birdie putt on the third extra hole, sending the trio back to the 18th tee for the final time. Jutanugarn had chances to win on the first two playoff holes, missing birdie putts of 14 and 8 feet.

Ko opened with rounds of 68, 66 and 67 to enter the day three strokes behind Hyo Joo Kim. Ko birdied three of the first six holes, while Kim had three bogeys on the stretch. Ko birdied the par-4 ninth, bogeyed the par-3 14th and 16th and finished with two pars.

Lee shot a 65, bogeying the 18th after making birdies on Nos. 13, 15, 16 and 17.

Jutanugarn had a 68, reaching 14 under with an eagle on 17. The long-hitting Thai player won three straight events in May.

Kim followed her third-round 64 with a 73 to finish a stroke back.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp were the top Canadians at 7 under, good for 11th place. Henderson finished even while Quebec City’s Anne Catherine Tanguay was 2 over.

Stacy Lewis was fifth at 11 under after a 71. Born in the area, the Texan is winless in 56 starts since taking the North Texas LPGA Shootout in June 2014 for her 11th tour victory. She has 11 runner-up finishes during the drought and 24 overall.

Alison Lee, tied for second with Ko entering the round, had a 73 to fall into a tie for sixth with Beatriz Recari (68) at 10 under.

Brittany Lang, coming off a playoff victory over Anna Nordqvist in the U.S. Women’s Open, had a 74 to tie for 24th at 3 under. Nordqvist also was 3 under after a 70.

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Hyo Joo Kim had five birdies in a six-hole stretch and shot a 7-under 64 on Saturday at Highland Meadows to open a three-stroke lead in the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic.

“I hit good drives, good tee shots and iron shots,” Kim said. “I managed to get up-and-down and I made good putts. It was good.”

Kim had shares of the lead the first two days, opening with a 66 on her 21st birthday and shooting a 68 on Friday. The South Korean player won the season-opening event in the Bahamas for her third career title.

“I just feel happy right now,” Kim said. “I will be happy again tomorrow. Every day I’m happy.”

Kim began the birdie run on the par-4 fifth, parred the par-3 sixth, then ran off four straight on the par-5 seventh, par-3 eighth and par-4 ninth and 10th holes. She added birdies on the par-3 14th and par-5 17th and parred the par-5 18th to finish at 15 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko and Alison Lee were tied for second.

Ko, the 2014 winner, had a bogey-free 67. She missed a short birdie putt on the final hole.

“I let one – it was a very dumb one – slip on the last hole,” Ko said. “I’ve got to take the positives. There were so many putts that were so close but didn’t end up falling, so hopefully a few more fall tomorrow. Hyo Joo played great today, holed a lot of putts, put herself in really good positions. Obviously, I’ll be trying to track her down tomorrow, but there’s still a lot of golf to be played.”

Ko won in consecutive weeks in Southern California this year, the second the major ANA Inspiration. The 19-year-old New Zealander tied for third last week in the U.S. Women’s Open in California.

“At the end of the day, I’ve just got to focus on my game,” Ko said. “If I can put some good shots and put myself in good positions to make birdies and put good strokes on it, that’s all I can do.”

Lee, the 21-year-old American who has struggled in her second season on the tour while still attending classes at UCLA, birdied Nos. 15-17 in a 66.

“Feels like I’m playing golf again,” Lee said. “I’m actually having a great time out there and committing to the shot and watching the ball go where I want it to go. I feel really confident going into tomorrow. It’s definitely been a while since I’ve felt like this, but it was worth the wait.”

Stacy Lewis and Ariya Jutanugarn were 11 under.

Lewis birdied six of the first 13 holes in a bogey-free 65.

“I played really solid today,” Lewis said. “It was probably one of the most solid rounds of the year, just ball-striking-wise. I felt like I could hit any shot I needed to, was killing my driver.”

Born in the area, the Texan is winless in 55 starts since taking the North Texas LPGA Shootout in June 2014 for her 11th tour victory. She has 11 runner-up finishes during the drought and 24 overall.

“I want to enjoy this one today because that was probably one of the easiest rounds of the year,” Lewis said. “I just need to keep trusting what I’m doing. That’s kind of been my motto the last week or so, just believe in it and trust it, and that’s what I keep trying to do.”

Jutanugarn birdied the final three holes for a 66. The long-hitting Thai player won three straight events in May.

“I hit my tee shots really good, really a lot better than yesterday,” Jutanugarn said. “I get more comfortable with my putting, so my putting is getting better.”

Brittany Lang, coming off a playoff victory over Anna Nordqvist in the U.S. Women’s Open, was tied for 13th at 6 under after a 68. Nordqvist was 2 under after a 69.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp sits T19 to lead the Canadians in the field at 5-under. Sherbrooke, Que., native Maude-Aimée Leblanc is tied for 28th at 3-under. Québec’s Anne Catherine Tanguay is T41, while Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson holds a share of 50th.

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Lydia Ko shot a 5-under 66 in windy conditions Friday for a share of the Marathon Classic lead with Hyo Joo Kim.

The top-ranked Ko had six birdies and one bogey at Highland Meadows to match Kim at 8-under 134. Kim, tied for the first-round lead with Mirim Lee and Haru Nomura, had a 68.

“I think this is the windiest I’ve ever played this course,” said Ko, the 2014 tournament winner. “In this wind and in the conditions, I feel like my score is a pretty solid one this morning.”

Ko won in consecutive weeks in Southern California this year, the second the major ANA Inspiration. The 19-year-old New Zealander tied for third last week in the U.S. Women’s Open in California.

“I started off well with a birdie on my first hole, and then made a clumsy bogey on the next hole,” Ko said. “I hit a few good shots in. I had a few birdies where it was 3, 4, 5 feet. When you got those birdie chances makes it a whole lot easier.”

Kim won the season-opening event in the Bahamas for her third career title.

“Yesterday was way better,” Kim said through a translator. “Still today, I played great.”

Alison Lee and Ha Na Jang were a stroke back. Alison Lee birdied the last three holes for a 66.

“Finishing birdie, birdie, birdie was great, obviously,” Alison Lee said. “I haven’t had a good round like this in a while. To be honest, I struggled fairly a lot for the past like about four months. Feels great to shoot under par again.”

Jang shot 67. She has two victories this season.

“I think just be patient every hole, just fairway and the greens,” Jang said. “Because this golf course really small green. Just target is middle of the green.”

Mirim Lee had a 70 to drop into a tie for fifth at 6 under. Ariya Jutanugarn, the long-hitting Thai player who won three straight events in May, also was 6 under after a 69.

Nomura was 5 under after a 71. Stacy Lewis matched her after a 68.

Brittany Lang, coming off a playoff victory over Anna Nordqvist on Sunday in the U.S. Women’s Open, shot a 69 to reach 3 under. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 2-under on the day to join Lang and Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., in a tie for 16th. Nordqvist was even par after a 72.

Italy’s Virginia Elena Carta, the NCAA champion this year as a Duke freshman, was 2 under after a 69 in her first start in an LPGA Tour event.

Second-ranked Brooke Henderson also was 2 under after a 72. The teen from Smiths Falls, Ont., has two victories this year, beating Ko in a playoff in the major KPMG Women’s PGA and successfully defending a title in Oregon.

Québec native Anne-Catherine Tanguay holds a share of 43rd at even par.

Defending champion Chella Choi missed the cut with rounds of 69 and 74. Last year, she beat Jang with a par on the first hole of a playoff for her first LPGA Tour victory.

Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., Calgary’s Jennifer Ha, and Charlottetown native Lorie Kane also missed the cut.

Michelle Wie dropped out following her opening 69 with a 77.