Thompson off to good start at ANA, trails leader by 3

Lexi Thompson is smiling and having fun again at the ANA Inspiration.

A year after a rules violation cost her four strokes in regulation in an eventual playoff loss, Thompson shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to finish three strokes behind leader Pernilla Lindberg.

“I don’t know if I would say it’s a relief,” Thompson said. “I was just really looking forward to just playing this week. I love coming here.”

Thompson also again overpowered Michelle Wie on a hot afternoon at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage four years after routing her in a final-round showdown for her first major championship.

Wie fought dizzy spells on the front nine in a 75 that left her in danger of missing the cut.

“I had the mad spins,” Wie said. “I just got really dizzy. I don’t know why or how. I don’t know.”

Lindberg birdied her final two holes for a bogey-free 65, playing in the last group to finish out the round.

The 31-year- old Swede is still winless on the LPGA Tour.

Beatriz Recari and Ayako Uehara were a stroke back, and Jessica Korda, Ha Na Jang and Stanford sophomore Albane Valenzuela — playing as an amateur— shot 67. In Gee Chun and Cristie Kerr were at 68 with Thompson, Chella Choi, Sung Hyun Park and Brittany Altomare.

Valenzuela is the thirdranked amateur in the world and was runner-up at last summer’s U. S. Amateur.

Recari had a bogey-free round , saving par on the par-3 17th with a 10-footer. The 30-year- old Spaniard has three LPGA Tour victories.

Uehara birdied her final two holes. The Japanese player credited instructor Ted Oh for her strong play. “Now I have confidence,” she said.

Korda birdied the 18th after bogeying 16 and 17. She birdied the first four holes and was 6 under after 11.

“A couple of weird shots there, especially on 17,” she said.

The winner last month in Thailand in her return from reconstructive jaw surgery, Korda reached the par- 5 ninth with a driver from the right first cut. She hit driver off the deck twice two weeks in the Founders Cup.

“I actually caught way more air than I expected,” Korda said. “That’s kind of what I’m just trying to do is have fun out there, hit shots that normally I would probably not hit in a tournament.”

Playing partner Lydia Ko, the 2016 winner, had a 70. She closed with a double bo- gey after finding the water fronting the green fromthe fairway bunker.

Jang birdied the final three holes for the last of her nine birdies.

“Any golf course straight ball is very important, but Mission Hills is more important,” she said.

Jang left the LPGA Tour in the middle of last season to return home to spend more time with her mother, left alone when she and her father were away.

Her mother is visiting the U. S. for the first time this week.

“I’d like to play the LPGA again, but my mom’s more important than myself,” Jang said.

Valenzuela topped the seven amateur players in the field.

“I love this course,” Valenzuela said. “I feel really comfortable on it.”

Autistic brother Alexis is working as the Swiss Olympian’s caddie.

“I love having himon the bag,” she said.

Stacy Lewis had a 72 in her return from a rib injury sustained practicing before the Thailand event. She won in 2011 at Mission Hills before losing a playoff to Brittany Lincicome in 2015.

Defending champion So Yeon Ryu failed to make a birdie in a 75.

• Redwood City teenager Lucy Li, playing as an amateur, opened with a 2-under 70.

PGA Tour

RYDER ON A ROLL BEFORE SOGGY ROUND SUSPENDED » Rookie Sam Ryder played just enough golf to get his name atop the leader board in the Houston Open. Ryder holed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole to reach 8-under par before it was too dark to continue. The opening round was delayed two hours because of overnight rain that dumped more than 2 inches on the Golf Club of Houston.

But it was partly cloudy, warm and breezy for most of the day, with a forecast for more of the same through the weekend.

Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and Kevin Tway each shot 7-under 65 in the morning.

They had a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler, Rod Pampling, Ryan Armour and Julian Suri among those who completed their rounds.

Beau Hossler, another PGA Tour rookie, was at 7 under through 16 holes.

Phil Mickelson looked as if he would be among the leaders when he shot 30 on the front nine and was one shot behind.

Mickelson, who earned a win in the Mexico Championship three weeks ago for his first victory in more than four years, stalled on the back nine, making a double bogey at the par-3 14th and finishing at 4-under 68, along with Jordan Spieth.