Chien leads rainy Chevron, Korda tied for 2nd at 1st major

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Peiyun Chien shot a 5-under 67 on a rainy Thursday in the transplanted Chevron Championship to take the first-round lead in the LPGA Tour’s first major of the year. Unable to find a sponsor willing to add to the half-century run at Mission Hills, the tournament bolted the California desert for the woods of suburban Houston. The 32-year-old Chien, who is from Taiwan, had six birdies — including four in a five-hole span on Nos. 4-8 — at The Club at Carlton Woods. Second-ranked Nelly Korda was among six players and three Americans tied for second at 68. Korda is fully healthy after missing four months and a lot of momentum last year with a blood clot in her arm that required surgery.