BEIJING – Top-ranked Stacy Lewis birdied five holes on the back nine to shoot a 7-under 66 in the first round of the Reignwood LPGA Classic on Thursday.

The American had seven birdies in her bogey-free round and was one stroke ahead of Caroline Hedwall of Sweden.

Lewis is back in Beijing to try to win the tournament she narrowly lost a year before. She led for most of the final round by one stroke before Chinese golfer Shanshan Feng eagled the par-5 18th hole to win. Lewis finished second.

South Korean players Sun Young Yoo and Jenny Shin were tied for third place at 68 after Thursday’s first round.

Former No. 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan found some of her old form to shoot a 4-under 69. The five-time major winner has only had two top-10 finishes this year, causing her ranking to slip to No. 66.

Tseng was in a group of six golfers that also included four-time major winner Inbee Park of South Korea.

Feng, the defending champion, had three bogeys on the front nine to finish in a share of 52nd place at 2-over 75.

VENICE, Fla. – Brogan McKinnon of Mississauga, Ont. held firm and maintained her lead at the second stage of the LPGA Tour’s Q-School, shooting a second-round 1-under 71 to move to 7-under 137 (66-71) thru 36 holes.

McKinnon, a former member of Team Canada, holds a two-stroke advantage over Minjee Lee  of Australia, Ginger Howard of Bradenton, Fla. and Celine Herbin of Spain. Carly Werwie Kenosha, Wisc. is fifth at 4-under 140.

“It was a good day,” said 19-year-old McKinnon. “Just like yesterday, all parts of my game were working well. I made three birdies on the front nine after a bogey and my putting was great again.  I feel like my game is in pretty good shape.”

With the 36-hole lead in hand, McKinnon will now aim for medalist honors.

“It would be nice to get my first professional win at qualifying tournament, but top 80 is every players goal and if I need to play it safe I will, but I will try and win now.”

McKinnon played in seven Symetra Tour events and one LPGA Tour event in 2014. She did not advance to Stage III of Qualifying Tournament in 2013.

The top 80 players plus ties advance to Final Stage of LPGA Qualifying Tournament, which takes place at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. December 3-7.  Final stage is a five-round event with a cut after round four.

Other Canadians currently sitting within the top-80 midway through Stage II include Kelowna, B.C.’s Samantha Richdale (74-69–143, T15); Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. (73-72–145, T34); Augusta James of Bath, Ont. (74-71–145, T34); Natalie Gleadall of Stratford, Ont. (72-73–145, T34); Jessica Wallace of Langley, B.C. (76-70–146, T52); and Nicole Zhang of Calgary (71-75–146, T52).

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Mi Jung Hur was finally able to relax for a couple of holes after matching top-ranked Stacy Lewis stroke for stroke Sunday in the final round of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

The 24-year-old South Korean player never gave up the last-day lead on her way to a tournament-record 21-under 267 total. Hur birdied four of the final eight holes to beat Lewis by four strokes for her second LPGA Tour victory. The each shot 6-under 66.

Hur was able to savor the end of her round, at least. She made a 36-foot birdie putt on No. 11 and set up much easier birdies after that, including one on No. 16.

“After I made that, I definitely think about winning,” she said. “The last two holes, I really enjoyed the golf.”

She allowed herself to go from relief to tears of joy before her second shot on the final hole as she wrapped up her first victory since 2009. Her father, Kwan Moo, served as her caddie and was able to share the moment as she bowed her head crying for several seconds when the win was official.

“It’s definitely an exciting week for me,” Hur said. “I started with two birdies and it made me so much more comfortable the rest of the round. But Stacy played so well and I definitely thought about her.

“I just played my own game, and after nine holes I made a few birdies on the back nine.”

Hur opened with rounds of 64, 70 and 67 on Capitol Hill’s links-style Senator layout. She broke the tournament mark of 19 under set by Katherine Hull-Kirk in 2010. It was the best 72-hole score of Hur’s career.

She saw on the leaderboard that Lewis had climbed to 16 under with a birdie on No. 10. Hur kept up her own string of birdies with four in six holes starting on No. 11.

“It made me a little nervous, but I just focused on my ball and played my own game,” she said.

Lewis won in 2012 at the tournament that was dropped from the schedule last year after losing its title sponsor. She also closed with a 66.

Rookie Paula Reto was third at 14 under after a 73. She shared the third-round lead with Hur at 15 under.

Kris Tamulis was fourth at 13 under after a 70.

Hur gained two strokes on Reto with a long birdie putt on the first hole while the former Purdue player from South Africa two-putted for bogey. Hur birdied the second hole as well while Reto had a bogey on No. 3.

Reto worked her way back to 16 under before back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 put her four strokes back again.

Lewis, a three-time winner this year, opened with four birdies in a six-hole stretch starting on No. 3. She finished her bogey-free round with five straight pars, not enough to close the gap on Hur.

Lewis said it was one of her best days striking the ball “in a long time.” She said the 18th hole was the only time on the back nine where she didn’t have a potential birdie putt of 15 feet or less.

“You get events where people kind of run away with tournaments,” Lewis said. “I’ve done it before. It’s just golf. I played well, gave myself a ton of opportunities for birdies, which that was the goal coming into the day.

“I would have liked to have made a couple of more to give her something to think about coming up those last few.”

Canada’s Alena Sharp climbed 20 spots up the leaderboard Sunday after a final round 6-under par 66. The Hamilton, Ont. native tied for 30th at 5-under 283.

Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. tied for 63rd at 3-over 291.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – South Korea’s Mi Jung Hur birdied four of the last eight holes Saturday for a 5-under 67 and a share of the lead with Paula Reto in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

“Beginning of the round my putting wasn’t that good,” Hur said. “But after turned the nine holes, my putting gets better and better, so I had a low score.”

Reto, the second-round leader, birdied three of the final five holes for a 70 to match Hur at 15-under 201 on Capitol Hill’s links-style Senator layout.

“I didn’t start too well,” said Reto, a former Purdue player from South Africa. “I had a couple bogeys and a double there, but I kept patient and just focused on one shot at a time and it kind of helped me out toward the end of the round.”

Hur won her lone LPGA Tour title in 2009, and Reto is winless in her rookie season.

Top-ranked Stacy Lewis and Kris Tamulis were tied for third at 11 under. Lewis, the 2012 winner in the event dropped from the schedule last year after losing its title sponsor, had a 70.

“For the way I played, the score ended up pretty good,” said Lewis, the tour leader with three victories this year. “I didn’t play well. It was kind of a struggle all day and just had to work pretty hard to shoot what I did. But I’m still within striking distance, still have a chance for tomorrow, which that was the goal going into the week.”

Tamulis shot 65, the best round of the day.

“I wasn’t really trying to chase anybody,” Tamulis said. “Didn’t have a great middle of my round yesterday, so I was just going out there. I had some really good numbers today and was able to just kind of go for it.”

Reto rebounded from her double bogey on the par-3 seventh with birdies on the next two holes.

“I wasn’t kind of where I wanted to be with my mental and stuff,” said Reto, who started playing golf at 16 in 2005 when she moved to Florida with her family “So, I just took a couple seconds to myself just to rethink everything, just kind of stayed in there.”

They will play in the same group again Sunday.

“I’m just going to focus on each shot and I will do my best for tomorrow,” Hur said. “Play with Paula will be fun, not much pressure. I mean, she made me so comfortable.”

Reto is in position to win after missing 11 cuts in 18 starts this year.

“It would be really cool. That would put the cherry on the cake,” said Reto, coming off a ninth-place tie in Portland, Oregon. “But I’m not going to think about it. I’m just going to have fun and stuff.”

On the Canadian front, the lone Canadians to make the 36 hole have a share of 50th spot after 54 holes. Hamilton, Ont.’s Alena Sharp and Langley, B.C.’s Sue Kim sit at 1-over 217.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – South Africa’s Paula Reto birdied her final hole Friday for a 6-under 66 and a three-stroke lead in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

Reto had five birdies in a six-hole stretch on her opening nine – the back nine on Capitol Hill’s Senator layout. The 24-year-old former Purdue player finished with eight birdies and two bogeys to reach 13-under 131.

“I was just really patient with myself,” said Reto, playing her first season on the LPGA Tour after a year on the Symetra Tour. “I hit a couple good irons, especially early in the round. I hit a couple close, 5 feet, so that was nice, got the momentum going pretty early. It was nice to birdie the last hole yesterday as well as today, that was really nice. Just trying to stay patient and not think too much, just simple things.”

She started playing golf when she was 16.

“I moved from South Africa with my family in `05,” Reto said. “We moved to Florida and I used to play field hockey and ran track. So I tried to start a team over here in Florida and the track and the field hockey wasn’t as good, so my dad used to play golf and he said, `So, why don’t you just try golf.’

“So got in my freshman year of high school and tried golf. I loved it and ended up just dropping track and field hockey and just kept playing and loved the game.”

South Korea’s Mi Jung Hur, tied for the first-round lead with top-ranked Stacy Lewis at 64, was second after a 70. Hur had four birdies and two bogeys.

“I had a cold last night, so it was really hard to focus today,” Hur said. “I finally wake up on the back nine and had a good nine holes.”

Lewis, the 2012 winner in the event that was dropped from the schedule last year after losing its title sponsor, was third at 9 under after a 71. She had five birdies and four bogeys.

“Just got in trouble a couple times off the tee and made some bogeys that I shouldn’t have,” Lewis said. “Really just got in some bad places where I couldn’t make par.

“The hole locations are a lot tougher today. Especially, you look at yesterday, some holes we had front pins and today they’re back pins. That’s an extra 30 yards on these greens.”

Sydnee Michaels, Alison Walshe and Moriya Jutanugarn were 7 under. Michaels shot 65, Walshe 68, and Jutanugarn 69.

Former University of Alabama star Stephanie Meadow was 2 under after a 74.

Lexi Thompson, the 2011 winner at age 16, missed the cut with rounds of 70 and 78.

Sue Kim is the top Canadian after two rounds. The Langley, B.C. native is tied for 45th at at 1-under 143. The only other Canuck to advance to weekend play was Hamilton, Ont.’s Alena Sharp, who is 2 over and tied for 70th.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Top-ranked Stacy Lewis birdied the last three holes and five of the final six Thursday for an 8-under 64 and a share of the lead with Mi Jung Hur in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

Lewis, the 2012 winner in the event that was dropped from the schedule last year after losing its title sponsor, had a bogey-free round on The Senator course. She has a tour-high three victories this season.

“I grew up playing on Bermuda grass, which I think that helps a lot, you know, just reading greens and understanding the different types of lies, but it feels like home,” said Lewis, the former University of Arkansas star from Texas. “The heat, the humidity, I’m used to it.”

Lewis tied for 16th last week in France in the Evian Championship in the final major of the year.

“I played really solid last week and that golf course was just a little goofy and the scores just didn’t really show how I played,” Lewis said. “So I felt like things were coming along and getting closer and it showed out there. I hit my wedges a lot better, which is always a good sign for me. When my wedges get back on track that usually gets the entire swing back going in the right direction.”

Hur also had a bogey-free round. The South Korean player won her lone LPGA Tour title in 2009.

“It was awesome with bogey-free,” Hur said. “That was my goal for today and I make it. My shot was really working good and also my putter was very good, so everything was perfect.”

South Africa’s Paula Reto had a 65, and Cydney Clanton was another stroke back along with Sweden’s Karin Sjodin and Japan’s Ayako Uehara.

Hur tied for third in the 2012 event.

“I feel pretty much good with this course,” Hur said.

She’s coming off a tie for ninth in Portland, Oregon, and a tied for third in France.

“I feel so much comfortable after I did the top 10 in Portland,” Hur said. “I think my confidence, it made me feel better and better. Also my putting doing really great.”

Former University of Alabama star Stephanie Meadow shot 68. She played alongside fellow former Crimson Tide players Jenny Suh and Kathleen Ekey.

“It was fun,” said Meadow, from Northern Ireland. “I mean, it’s not every day you hear Roll Tide for all of us, so it was really something special and I think it’s really cool we got to do it.”

Suh and Ekey shot 71.

Lexi Thompson, the 2011 winner at age 16, opened with a 70.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – South Korean teenager Hyo-Joo Kim beat Australian veteran Karrie Webb by one shot on Sunday to win the Evian Championship and become the third youngest major winner at 19 years, 2 months.

Kim trailed the 39-year-old Webb by one shot heading into the final hole. But she turned the tables with a birdie from 12 feet out, and Webb then missed a chance to force a playoff when a difficult attempt for par from the same distance drifted left of the hole.

Kim led Webb by one shot overnight and they both posted 3-under rounds of 68 in perfect playing conditions, with no clouds or wind to disrupt them.

“I was flying like a bird,” Kim said.

Webb was looking to win her eighth career major and first since Kraft Nabisco in 2006 – the year she also won Evian before it became a major.

“Obviously wasn’t meant to be. I believe in fate a little bit, and I wasn’t meant to win,” Webb said. “I hit a lot of good putts this week. Probably the one on the last was the poorest I hit all week.”

Kim, who finished on 11-under 273, had already set a record for lowest round in any major with a 61 on Thursday.

Only Morgan Pressel and Lexi Thompson – both from the U.S. – have won majors at a younger age than Kim, who is studying physical education at Seoul university.

She seemed to take it all in her stride.

When Webb’s putt rolled wide, Kim removed her glasses slowly and then walked up to Webb, giving her a small hug.

Webb finished ahead of three other South Koreans. Ha-Na Jang and Mi-Jung Hur were tied for third at 9 under, with Na-Yeon Choi in fifth another shot back. Defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway was one behind her and former champion Paula Creamer of the U.S. placed seventh at 6 under.

Meanwhile, Michelle Wie, who pulled out during the first round because of a recurrence of her right index finger injury, won the inaugural Rolex Annika Major award.

Named after retired Swedish great Annika Sorenstam, it honors the player with the best overall record in the five majors. Wie won the U.S. Women’s Open and finished second at the Kraft Nabisco.

Webb looked certain to clinch her 42nd LPGA title with two holes to play.

Kim’s approach on the 16th almost rolled into the water, leaving her a difficult uphill par putt from the fringe, which she missed as Webb took the lead with a par from 4 feet.

Webb missed a long birdie chance on the 17th and was way short, giving her a difficult par putt from six feet. Taking her time, she showed good composure to hold.

But that composure left her on the last. Webb’s second shot on the final hole took her too wide and slightly off the green.

“I don’t know what hit me actually,” Webb said. “Just probably a rush of adrenaline with the belly wedge. The putt was obviously a lot faster than I thought, too. Then hit a very poor putt after knowing I had to make it for a playoff.”

About 30 feet from the pin, Webb chose to chip and almost made an improbable birdie as the ball rolled just past the hole, but then carried on downhill for about 12 feet.

Kim punched the air after making her birdie.

“If I missed this hole, I would lose,” she said.

Webb was certainly impressed.

“The shot is definitely very mature,” she said. “I left the foot off the pedal a little bit. But she still had to make it.”

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – South Korean teenager Hyo-Joo Kim beat Australian veteran Karrie Webb by one shot on Sunday to win the Evian Championship and become the third youngest major winner at 19 years, 2 months.

Kim trailed the 39-year-old Webb by one shot heading into the final hole. But she turned the tables with a birdie from 12 feet out, and Webb then missed a chance to force a playoff when a difficult attempt for par from the same distance drifted left of the hole.

Kim led Webb by one shot overnight and they both posted 3-under rounds of 68 in perfect playing conditions, with no clouds or wind to disrupt them.

“I was flying like a bird,” Kim said.

Webb was looking to win her eighth career major and first since Kraft Nabisco in 2006 – the year she also won Evian before it became a major.

“Obviously wasn’t meant to be. I believe in fate a little bit, and I wasn’t meant to win,” Webb said. “I hit a lot of good putts this week. Probably the one on the last was the poorest I hit all week.”

Kim, who finished on 11-under 273, had already set a record for lowest round in any major with a 61 on Thursday.

Only Morgan Pressel and Lexi Thompson – both from the U.S. – have won majors at a younger age than Kim, who is studying physical education at Seoul university.

She seemed to take it all in her stride.

When Webb’s putt rolled wide, Kim removed her glasses slowly and then walked up to Webb, giving her a small hug.

Webb finished ahead of three other South Koreans. Ha-Na Jang and Mi-Jung Hur were tied for third at 9 under, with Na-Yeon Choi in fifth another shot back. Defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway was one behind her and former champion Paula Creamer of the U.S. placed seventh at 6 under.

Meanwhile, Michelle Wie, who pulled out during the first round because of a recurrence of her right index finger injury, won the inaugural Rolex Annika Major award.

Named after retired Swedish great Annika Sorenstam, it honors the player with the best overall record in the five majors. Wie won the U.S. Women’s Open and finished second at the Kraft Nabisco.

Webb looked certain to clinch her 42nd LPGA title with two holes to play.

Kim’s approach on the 16th almost rolled into the water, leaving her a difficult uphill par putt from the fringe, which she missed as Webb took the lead with a par from 4 feet.

Webb missed a long birdie chance on the 17th and was way short, giving her a difficult par putt from six feet. Taking her time, she showed good composure to hold.

But that composure left her on the last. Webb’s second shot on the final hole took her too wide and slightly off the green.

“I don’t know what hit me actually,” Webb said. “Just probably a rush of adrenaline with the belly wedge. The putt was obviously a lot faster than I thought, too. Then hit a very poor putt after knowing I had to make it for a playoff.”

About 30 feet from the pin, Webb chose to chip and almost made an improbable birdie as the ball rolled just past the hole, but then carried on downhill for about 12 feet.

Kim punched the air after making her birdie.

“If I missed this hole, I would lose,” she said.

Webb was certainly impressed.

“The shot is definitely very mature,” she said. “I left the foot off the pedal a little bit. But she still had to make it.”

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – South Korean teenager Hyo-Joo Kim emerged from a third round riddled with errors by contenders to lead the Evian Championship by a stroke on Saturday and in sight of her first major.

Kim hit four bogeys on the front nine before recovering for a 1-over 72. That she regained the lead was a legacy of her remarkable 61 on Thursday, the lowest score in major history, and her rivals also dropping on the leaderboard.

Karrie Webb mixed four birdies with three bogeys in a 1-under 70, leaving the 39-year-old one shot behind Kim and with a great chance of an eighth career major.

“Really just hung in there. The conditions were challenging today with the breeze,” Webb said. “I did a really good job and finished the last four in 2 under. That really made my round.”

Mi-Jung Hur of South Korea was two behind Kim at 6 under overall.

Overnight leader Brittany Lincicome of the U.S. dropped four shots off the lead after a 6-over 77, which featured two double bogeys and a triple bogey within the first seven holes.

“Hopefully tomorrow I can shoot a couple under par and see if I can get it back around,” said Lincicome, the 2009 Kraft Nabisco champion.

Kim was aged 11 when Webb won her last major: The Kraft Nabisco in 2006, the year she won Evian before it was a major.

“Just happy to be in this position. It’s been a while,” Webb said. “Haven’t gotten too down on myself when things haven’t been going well, which has helped me.”

Kim is in the first year of a physical education course at Seoul University. Ranked 20th in the world, she leads the Korean LPGA money list with three wins.

Anna Nordqvist of Sweden, the 2009 LPGA Championship winner, is three behind Kim in a tie for fourth with Mariajo Uribe of Colombia.

Nordqvist double-bogeyed the perilous 17th. As the ball flew over the green on her second shot she muttered, “You’re kidding me.”

Hur has even more reason to rue a triple bogey on the 16th – her only, but costly, mistake.

Hur made the Evian field by tying for ninth at the Portland Classic two weeks ago and earning $23,262 to move up to 93rd on the money list. She has one U.S. LPGA Tour title, five years ago, and has not finished higher than 25th in a major.

Suzann Pettersen, the defending champion, started the day level with Webb, and four behind Lincicome.

But the Norwegian’s chances of a third major took a dive. She was exasperated after a double bogey on the 17th and finished with 74 to drift five shots behind Kim in a tie for 10th, alongside top-ranked Stacy Lewis of the U.S., and five-time major winner Inbee Park of South Korea.

Lewis’ day ended with two bogeys, while Park fought hard for a commendable 2-under 69.

If it was frustrating for Lewis, it was torturous for Lincicome, chasing her first title since 2011.

She opened with two bogeys and triple bogeyed on the seventh. Her ball landed in the bunker, her escape shot rolled back in; and she got out on her second attempt as the ball nearly crept back down.

“There is so much silly sand in these bunkers,” she said.

The 17th caused problems all day, and Lincicome over-hit from the fairway and the ball rolled downhill into the rough.

Uribe found herself in trouble on 18 as her approach landed in the water. Taking her shoes and socks off, she splashed the ball out of the pond for a bogey finish.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Brittany Lincicome had six birdies in a 6-under 65 to take a one-shot lead from Hyo-Joo Kim of South Korea at the halfway stage of the Evian Championship on Friday.

The 28-year-old American has won a major before, the Kraft Nabisco in 2009, but clinched the last of her five LPGA titles in 2011 at the Canadian Women’s Open.

“Even when I felt like I didn’t hit a good shot today I kind of got away with it,” she said. “Golf isn’t always a perfect game and hitting great shots.”

She finished second behind South Korea’s Inbee Park at this year’s LPGA Championship, when she also led after 36 holes.

“At this point I would take any win. It’s been a while,” Lincicome said. “When I’m playing well, it’s just kind of light and easy and just having a good time, going with the flow, and not paying attention to the leaderboard.'”

Lincicome’s relaxed frame of mind is down to an unusual practice technique – whereby she hits balls bare-footed on the driving range.

It may seem eccentric, but the reason is to stop her driving too hard.

“It just slows it down, my tempo. Obviously I can’t swing as hard as I would like to with no shoes on because I will fall,” she said. “It makes me swing a lot slower, which is really good for me. With a driver I tend to want to hit it really hard, and with no shoes on I can’t do that.”

This has not gone unnoticed.

“It’s funny, because (U.S. player) Laura Diaz came over to the range,” Lincicome said. “She’s like, `Two questions: Why are you practicing and why don’t you have your shoes on? Because a lot of players know I don’t like to practice.”

Park, meanwhile, is tied for 20th at 1-under and drifting out of contention for a sixth major.

The day after making history with the lowest ever score in a women’s or men’s major with a 10-under 61, Kim had four bogeys and rescued her round with three birdies on the back nine – including a 35-footer on the last hole.

“I feel a little bit angry,” Kim said.

Countrywoman Mi-Jung Hur is three shots behind Lincicome, while veteran Karrie Webb of Australia and defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway are four shots back. The 39-year-old Webb is chasing an eighth major – her last was the Kraft Nabisco in 2006 – while Pettersen is eyeing a third.

One shot behind them are No. 1-ranked Stacy Lewis of the U.S., 17-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn.

Lincicome also has an outside chance to also win the inaugural Rolex Annika Major – named after retired Swedish great Annika Sorenstam and honoring the player with the best overall record in the five majors.

Players have to win a major to qualify, however.

Michelle Wie, the U.S. Women’s Open champion, leads the standings with 84 points but she withdrew during Thursday’s first round with a recurrence of her right index finger injury.

Lincicome, who had three birdies each on the front and back nine, is eighth with 24 points and now needs results to go her way.

So-Yeon Ryu, the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open champion, was disqualified for a breach of the rules.

After she damaged her putter by slamming it against her shoe and bending the shaft, she subsequently used it to tap the ball in. But it is forbidden to use a club that was damaged other than in the normal course of play.

Canada’s Alena Sharp missed the 36-hole cut mark, finishing at 16- over 158 (78-80).