Inkster takes wild ride around Lake Merced

Juli Inkster shot even-par 72 on Thursday, but there was absolutely nothing routine about her journey around Lake Merced.

Inkster, the Hall of Famer who lives in Los Altos, stood 3-under through nine holes. That planted her on the Mediheal Championship leaderboard, only one stroke off the pace.

She was still in good shape when she arrived at No. 14, at 2-under on the day. Then her round became downright strange: Inkster finished with a bogey, birdie, double bogey, birdie (holing a bunker shot) and bogey.

“Oh, man,” she said afterward, visibly frustrated. “I was playing well and just kind of lost my rhythm out there. …

The wind was blowing and I got a little quick with my swing. I didn’t hit very many good shots coming in.”

Inkster, 57, still has a chance to make the cut for the first time in five starts this year. She tees off at 8:21 a.m. Friday on No. 10.

Ko tied for lead: Five players, including Lydia Ko, shot 68 to share the opening-round lead.

Ko found herself tied with Jessica Korda, In-Kyung Kim, Caroline Hedwall and Su Oh. Lexi Thompson highlights a quartet of players who posted 69.

It should come as no surprise to see Ko in the mix, even

if she’s seeking her first LPGA victory since July 2016. She has won twice at Lake Merced, and her formula Thursday was the same as always: She hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation.

“It’s nice to come back to a place where you feel super welcomed,” Ko said. “It just brings back a lot of great memories. I have a tattoo of my first win on tour, and that’s this event.”

Athletic genes: Korda, one of the co-leaders, is a five-time LPGA winner. She’s also the daughter of former pro tennis players Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova; Petr Korda is a Grand Slam champion, having won the 1998 Australian Open.

Jessica and her younger sister, Nelly — in her second year on tour — frequently lean on their parents for guidance. Jessica called her dad this week, unhappy with the way she’s hitting the ball, and he offered some helpful advice.

“It’s so nice to have two athletes in the family to bounce things off,” she said.

Jessica won the LPGA event in Thailand on Feb. 25; one week later, Nelly tied for second at the tournament in Singapore. She shot 72 on Thursday.