Ernst takes LPGA lead, Kim grabs upper hand in bonus race

And while the 23-year-old world number 53 was charging to the lead, New Zealand teen star Lydia Ko fired a 69 to help tighten her grip on the world number one ranking ahead of South Korean Park In-Bee, who opened on 71 to share 22nd.

The ballyhooed Big Three – Ko and Park were joined by No. 3 Stacy Lewis in the final group – delivered a bit of a letdown on a breezy, overcast day. “It would have been more fun”.

Either Ko or Park would clinch The Race To The CME Globe, which carries a $1 million bonus, with victory this week where the winner’s cheque is for $500,000.

After ending her day with a 5-wood shot that caressed the hole and led to a tap-in putt, Austin Ernst has a lot of confidence going into Round 2 of the CME Group Tour Championship.

But Ko’s eyes are squarely on winning the tournament.

“I think my bad shots, I got lucky”. “That’s what I said for all the majors”. “I’ve been hitting it well this year”.

Her struggle stemmed from her performance on the greens where she had an uncharacteristic total of 31 putts. But the Bermuda greens, as they have in the past, irritated the seemingly unflappable Park.

Ernst, who won her first LPGA title in a playoff for last year’s Portland Classic, finished in style with a birdies at the par-five 17th and par-four last, where she almost holed out with a five-wood approach from 192 yards.

“Just wasn’t very good”, Lewis said.

She would know, after sweeping the tournament and the bonus a year ago. Just didn’t play very well.

” … I’m not really thinking about the lead; just need to play a few better golf”. A birdie-birdie finish boosted Ernst to the lead by one stroke over South Korean Lee Mi-Hyang with South Korean Kim Sei-Young and Americans Jennifer Song, Cristie Kerr, Jaye Marie Green, Brittany Lincicome and Gerina Piller sharing third on 68.

However, it was her sister who was the beneficiary of the award.

“I hit the ball well today. Gave myself a lot of good looks and made a lot of them”, Ernst said.

“Even if it doesn’t exactly go the way I would love it to by the end of Sunday, I think I’ve just got to be pleased and proud with the way this year has gone”, said Ko, 18, who won her first major crown at the Evian Championship in September.