SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Candie Kung was a little sleepy when she began play. By the time her round was over, she'd given the rest of the field at the State Farm Classic a wakeup call.
Kung shot an eye-opening 8-under 64 Thursday to take a two-shot lead after one round.
"I was actually a little tired this morning. On the first hole, I was almost falling asleep," Kung said. "But I just kept myself in there playing hole by hole and ended up at 8-under, and I'm happy with that."
Kung had six birdies, including a 30-foot putt on the 18th, and an eagle on her way to matching her low round of the season. She was two strokes ahead of Hee-Won Han, who shot a 6-under 66.
Kung has quickly turned into a serious contender in her second season on the tour. She won her second tournament of the season last week at the Wachovia Classic.
She was one of a host of players who took advantage of calm conditions in the morning rounds at the $1.2 million Classic, and the par-72 Rail Golf Course's wide fairways and soft greens.
Han, fifth on the LPGA money list this year and a two-time winner, missed the cut in the previous two State Farm Classics and made the turn at even par. But she birdied five holes in a row on the back nine, including a 25-foot putt on the 17th hole.
Michelle McGann, the 1996 tournament champion, and three others finished at 5-under 67. So did Leslie Spalding, who briefly had the clubhouse lead -- a bright spot in a season where she has often struggled to make the cut at tournaments.
Spalding credited some extra work on her putting last week, a better attitude and some luck for her surprising showing. She holed out from a bunker on the opening hole and shot a bogey-free round.
"That kind of got it started," Spalding said. "It was just a perfect shot."
Brisk winds and hot weather meant little movement on the leaderboard in the afternoon, but more than half the 144-woman field shot par or better. Pak, the tour's No. 2 player, is in a large group at 2-under 70.
The first-day leaders agreed that although they're in good position, they still need to shoot in the upper 60s the next three days to be in contention.
"Players here are always scoring low and that's been the case over the years," said Shaun Clews, Han's caddy. "Everyone knows you have to shoot 4- or 5-under to have a winning score."
Kung said she still missed some opportunities to go lower, making six of 11 putts of 15 feet or less. She hopes the weakest part of her game will continue to improve on the course's large, undulating greens.
"If I want to win the tournament, I probably need more of that going in," Kung said.
The tournament's last six winners have won for the first time on tour here. Defending champion Patricia Meunier-Lebouc is not playing because of a pregnancy-related illness.
State Farm is extending its tournament sponsorship through 2006, the company and tour officials said Thursday. State Farm has sponsored the tournament since 1993.
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