(Reuters) - American Austin Ernst seized a one-shot lead after the opening round of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida on Thursday while Lydia Ko strengthened her grip in the race for 2015 LPGA Tour honors.
Ernst, in pursuit of her second victory on the LPGA circuit, birdied her last two holes to break clear of a congested leaderboard as she fired a six-under-par 66 in the $2 million event at Tiburon Golf Club.
That left the diminutive 23-year-old Ernst a stroke in front of South Korea's Lee Mi-hyang, with twice major winner Cristie Kerr lurking among a group of six who opened with 68s.