Trio leads crowd atop Legends leaderboard

FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster, Laura Davies and Trish Johnson are tied for the lead with 71s in the first round of The Legends Championship at French Lick Resort on Saturday.

That trio holds a slim one shot lead over five others: Wendy Doolan, Christa Johnson, Maggie Will, Rosie Jones and Lorie Kane, all at par 72.

With threatening weather in the forecast for today, play is scheduled to begin off both the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at 8 a.m., in order to finish by around 3 p.m.

Defending champion Laurie Rinker is four shots back in a tie for 19th place but watch out. Last year she produced a 66 under a similar set of circumstances at the Pete Dye Course.

"If someone (among the first-round leaders) can go out and shoot 66 or 67, that would be hard to beat," said Davies.

Jones was coming off an emotional induction ceremony for The Legends Hall of Fame the night before.

"I was more worried about my speech than my putting before this week," she said. "Now that that's over I can concentrate on what happens on the golf course."

Though she's tied for the lead, Inkster called her first round, "very sloppy."

"The speed on my putting wasn't very good," she said. "I've got to clean that up before tomorrow."

The tournament for Super Legends, players 63 and older, isn't quite as top-heavy on the leaderboard. Jan Stephenson, playing her first event as a Super Legend, shot a solid 73 to take a two-stroke lead over Judy Dickinson.