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Nasa Hataoka putts at the 10th green during the first round of the LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament on Thursday at Wilshire Country Club. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jennifer Song tees off at 7th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Sei Young Kim tees off at the 14th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Nasa Hataoka of Japan tees off at the 11th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jennifer Song reacts to her tee shot at 7th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Sei Young Kim hits her second shot on the 10th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jin Young Ko tees off at the 17th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Bronte Law of England hits out of the sand on the 10th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Inbee Park of Korea hits from the 13th fairway during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jin Young Ko watches her tee shot at the 14th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Brooke M. Henderson tees off at the 17th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Brooke M. Henderson hits from the 13th fairway during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Inbee Park of Korea tees off at the 17th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Inbee Park of Korea walks away from the 13th green during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Hinako Shibuno tees off at the 14th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Sei Young Kim tees off at the 17th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jennifer Kupcho lines up a shot on the first green during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jennifer Kupcho tees off at the second tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Minjee Lee tees off at the fifth tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Brooke M. Henderson tees off at the 14th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Patty Tavatanakit tees off from the second tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Yuka Saso tees off from the second tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Leona Maguire tees off at the 17th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jin Young Ko waits for her putt a the 10th green during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jin Young Ko hits from the sand on the 13th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Inbee Park of Korea tees off at the 14th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Hinako Shibuno hands her score card to her caddie, Keisuke Fujinom, as they walk away from the 13th green during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jennifer Kupcho chips on the third hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Jennifer Kupcho lines up a shot on the first green during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Celine Boutier tees off at the second tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Yuka Saso chips on the third hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Atthaya Thitkul tees off at the second tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Atthaya Thitkul chips on the third hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Minjee Lee waves to the crowd after making a shot on the first green during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Minjee Lee hits from the rough on the third hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Danielle Kang tees off from the fifth tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Nanna Koerstz Madsen tees off at the 18th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Nanna Koerstz Madsen lines up a shot on the 17th green during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Patty Tavatanakit tees off from the fifth tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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In Gee Chun tees off at the 18th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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In Gee Chun watches her shot from behind a tree on to the 17th green during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Ayaka Furue tees off at the 18th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Charley Hull tees off at the 18th tee during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Charley Hull hits from the rough on the 17th hole during the first round of LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Former UCLA standout Alison Lee, shown in a photo from earlier this month, shot a 5-under-par 66 on Thursday, the only bogey-free round to of the day to take the first-round lead in the DIO Implant LA Open on a breezy day at Wilshire Country Club. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES — Forner UCLA star Alison Lee shot a 5-under-par 66 on Thursday afternoon at breezy Wilshire Country Club to take the first-round lead in the DIO Implant LA Open.
The resurgent Lee had the lone bogey-free round of the day in testing conditions with the wind gusting to 25 mph to start the LPGA Tour’s two-week run in the Los Angeles area, with the Palos Verdes Championship next week.
“I feel really comfortable,” Lee said. “I would say it’s not so much the course, but just being in L.A., seeing a bunch of familiar faces out there. Sometimes when you play week to week it does get pretty lonely out there. When you come to an event and you see people that you recognize and you know and they’re there to support you and bring up and lift you up.”
Lee, who grew up in nearby Valencia, birdied the par-4 sixth and par-3 seventh on the front nine, then moved up the leaderboard with birdies on the par-3 12th, par-5 15th and par-4 16th. She saved par on the final two holes, making a 6-footer on the par-4 17th and blasting out of the front bunker for a tap-in on the par-3 18th.
“I wouldn’t say there is any sort of secret weapon or secret that you need to know to play this course,” Lee said. “I would say it’s a little bit of everything. You are challenged with your tee shots, with your approach shots, even around the greens. As it gets in the afternoon it does tend to get a little more bumpy. You just need to stay patient out there.”
The 27-year-old is trying to win for the first time on the LPGA Tour.
“There was a point in time where I almost wanted to quit,” Lee said. “Golf was just so frustrating for me. I felt lost. I didn’t know what I was doing right. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong. I just felt like golf just to me felt like a big blah. To really see my hard work pay off – because most of it for me was just from a mental perspective, mental side of it.”
Fellow afternoon starter Emma Talley and morning players Nasa Hataoka and Emily Kristine Pedersen were a stroke back.
Talley had the lead at 5 under before dropping back with a bogey on the par-4 eighth, her 17th hole of the day. The 28-year-old from Kentucky is winless on the tour. She won the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur and took the 2015 NCAA individual title at Alabama.
“I’m hitting the ball really well right now, and that goes a long way, especially when it’s windy,” Talley said.
Hataoka closed with a birdie on 18. The 23-year-old Japanese player had seven birdies and three bogeys. She has five LPGA Tour victories, winning twice last season.
“Wilshire is not an easy course,” Hataoka said. “Four under is a pretty good start for me.”
Pedersen had five birdies and a bogey. The 23-year-old from Denmark is winless on the tour.
“I think you need a bit of confidence going into this course,” Pedersen said. “There are a few tight drives, a bit quirky shots into the greens where you really have to be on the right angle and just commit to the shots.”
Sei Young Kim and So Yeon Ryu were at 68 with Jennifer Song, Haylee Harford, Janie Jackson and Dewi Weber. They all played in the morning.
“A little windy on the back nine, so couple holes we took a long iron, just trying to make the par,” Kim said. “It’s not easy. You have to pick right number and then it’s going to be release a lot.”
Top-ranked Jin Young Ko had a 71 in the morning. Defending champion Brooke Henderson, playing alongside Ko, opened with a 76. She had a triple bogey on the par-3 fourth.
Patty Tavatanakit had a double bogey on No. 16 in a 73 in the afternoon.
Former Southern California player Allisen Corpuz and Amy Olson aced the 134-yard 18th. Corpuz shot a 72, and Olson had a 75.
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