AP – American teenager Lexi Thompson, gunning for her second major title of the year, shares the LPGA Championship lead after a six-under-par 66 opening round.

Thompson, 19, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship earlier this year for her first major crown, is locked in front with South Korea’s Meena Lee, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

Sarah Kemp is the leading Australian, tied 29th after a 71, while Stacey Keating shot 72 and veterans Karrie Webb and Lindsey Wright had 73s.

Their countrywomen Katherine Kirk (75) and Julia Boland (77) have work to do to avoid the halfway cut.

Thompson and Lee are one stroke in front of American Brittany Lincicome, the 2009 Kraft Nabisco winner, who is tied with Canadian Jennifer Kirby and Colombian Lisa McCloskey.

American Cristie Kerr and China’s Feng Shanshan, both former winners of this event, share sixth on 68.

New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko, who could seize the world number one ranking with her first major title this week, headlined a group of 13 players on 70.

Thompson charged into contention with three birdies in her first five holes.

She had seven birdies through 15 holes before she was slowed by back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16, but capped her round with a birdie at 18.

“Overall it was just a really solid round,” Thompson said. “I started off with birdieing two and three, so that got me a little confidence early in the round, and I just tried to keep that going, pretty much keep that steady pace going.”

South Korea’s Lee also nabbed eight birdies with two bogeys.