The Australians struggles in the tougher morning wave during the first round of the ANA Inspiration in California.

Queensland’s Karrie Webb performed the best with a two-over-par 74 to be in a tie for 51^st position.  Katherine Kirk and Minjee Lee both signed for four-over-par, 76 on the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills in Rachno Mirage.   Kirk and Lee will start round two in a share of 85^th place. Sarah Jane Smith finished at five over and is tied for 101^st.

While, all eyes are on Lydia Ko this week as she eyes becoming the youngest major champion in LPGA Tour history. But the current holder of that record, Morgan Pressel, may have something to say about Ko taking that from her just yet after firing a 5-under-par 67 in the afternoon to storm into the lead. Pressel became the youngest major champion at the age of 18 when she took the leap here into Poppie’s Pond in 2007 and is hoping to add another plaque to the Walk of Champions.

“I think every player dreams of having their name up on that wall, and the fact that mine is up there, it’s very, very special,” Pressel said. “I have so many great memories here, but I’d love to put it up there again.”

Pressel leads Japan’s Ai Miyazato (68) by one shot and a group of four players that includes 54-year old Juli Inkster, American Alison Walshe, South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu and LET member Gwladys Nocera by two shots.

Although Pressel’s hoping to deter Ko this week, she said she’d be surprised if Ko didn’t break her record in one of the five shots she has at it this year. Ko, for her part, was the talk of the golfing world in the morning wave for nearing a different record. Could the 17-year-old Ko tie Annika Sorenstam’s streak of 29 in a row? It looked in major doubt as she headed to the eighth tee – her 17th hole of the day – at even par, her streak of 28 subpar rounds in serious jeopardy.

If Ko has a greatest asset in a game seemingly free of weaknesses, it may be her mind. The ability to completely ignore how absurd it is the things she’s accomplishing at 17. Again, she tuned out any of the outside noise and stiffed a 6-iron on the par-3 from 158 yards to two feet and tapped in for birdie. Just like that with a par on the ninth, she secured her 29th consecutive rounder under par, tying Annika on a day in which she got the tougher draw having to play in the morning wave.