Four top crowded leaderboard in Alabama

Mobile, AL – Lindsey Wright carded a five-under 67 Thursday to grab a share of the lead after the first round of the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic.

Wright was joined in the lead by Katie Futcher, Caroline Hedwall and Jenny Rosales.

Stacy Lewis, who shared fifth place last year, posted a four-under 68. She stands alongside Kraft Nabisco winner Sun Young Yoo, Morgan Pressel, Sydnee Michaels, Mariajo Uribe, Mi Jung Hur, Haeji Kang and Cindy LaCrosse.

Reigning U.S. Women's Open champion So Yeon Ryu and Natalie Gulbis are among eight players tied at three-under 69 on the Crossing Course at Magnolia Grove, which is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Wright played the front nine first and parred the opening three holes. She converted a birdie effort on the par-five fourth. Birdies on the seventh and ninth helped Wright make the turn at minus-three.

The Englishwoman birdied the 11th, then parred her next four holes. Wright birdied the par-five 16th to grab a share of the lead.

"I think probably two of the birdies were inside five feet and a couple of nice 10-foot putts, and I hit the ball���really well," said Wright. "I just played a nice round of golf. I wish it was like that every day."

Futcher started on the back nine and posted three birdies. After a birdie on the fourth, she stumbled to a bogey on the par-four fifth.

The 28-year-old American reeled off three consecutive birdies from the sixth to grab the lead at six-under. However, Futcher tripped to a bogey on the ninth to slip back into a tie for the lead.

"Today was a pretty easy day. It was a good ball-striking day, good putting day," Futcher stated. "I hit it close a lot of times, left myself probably three or four inside three feet, so it was good."

Hedwall opened her bogey-free round with three straight pars from the 10th. She birdied the 13th, then converted back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17. On the front nine, the Swede birdied the third and ninth to get to minus-five.

Rosales did all of her damage on the back nine. She opened with six consecutive pars from the first. Rosales birdied the seventh, but gave that stroke back with a bogey on the ninth.

The two-time winner on the LPGA Tour dropped in back-to-back birdie efforts from the 10th. Rosales birdied the par-five 13th and followed with a birdie on 14. She birdied the 16th to gain a piece of the lead.

"Today was an easy day for me. I hit most of the fairways and greens. I only missed I think a green today," said Rosales, who is coming back from a wrist injury. "My putting was very good today."

NOTES: Of the four leaders, Rosales is the only one to have won on the LPGA Tour...Defending champion Maria Hjorth opened with a one-under 71 and is tied for 32nd.