Ochoa lurks one behind pacesetting mum Stupples

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (Reuters) - World number one Lorena Ochoa justified her billing as a red-hot favorite for this week's Kraft Nabisco Championship by charging into contention in Thursday's opening round.

The in-form Mexican reeled off four consecutive birdies on her way to a four-under-par 68, finishing level with Japan's Ai Miyazato to lie one stroke behind pacesetting Briton Karen Stupples.

Americans Natalie Gulbis and Heather Young carded 69s on a hot, breezy day at Mission Hills Country Club while three-times champion Annika Sorenstam opened with a 71 in the first women's major of the year.

Ochoa, who has won twice in three starts on the 2008 LPGA Tour, surged up the leaderboard with a four-birdie run from the par-five 18th after teeing off on the 10th hole.

She holed a five-footer on 18, struck superb approach shots to within two feet at the first and second, and then rolled in a 20-footer at the third, prompting a celebratory fist pump.

Level with leader Stupples at five under, she then slipped back with a three-putt bogey at the par-three eighth before parring her final hole.

"It was pretty tough with that wind but it was a good day for me, a good start," Ochoa, 26, told reporters after piling up six birdies and two bogeys.

"It was important to get a couple of birdies early in the round to give myself some momentum and on this course you need to be really smart and really patient.

"I'm happy with my round today and I'll take that for sure for the next three days."

ONLY MAJOR

Stupples, who became a mother for the first time last year and clinched her only major title at the 2004 Women's British Open, was delighted after firing a bogey-free 67.

"I really started to hit the ball pretty good, hit some good shots early on and got my confidence for the rest of the round," the 34-year-old Englishwoman said.

"I hit a couple of wayward drives and one wayward second shot that I was able to get up and down from but otherwise I hit some really good shots."

Stupples missed last year's Kraft Nabisco Championship shortly before giving birth to a son, Logan James.

"This was one of the tournaments that when I sat at home pregnant watching on TV, I really wanted to be here playing," she said. "It feels great to be back here because every time you come here it feels special."

Swede Sorenstam, who won her 70th LPGA title at the SBS Open in Hawaii in February before recording top-10 finishes in her next three Tour starts, was also happy with her round.

"I feel good about my game," the 37-year-old said after mixing four birdies with three bogeys. "I've just got to finish a little stronger and clean it up a little bit.

"You had to be very patient, especially when the conditions are the way they are. You just have to go out and battle it day by day, stroke by stroke, and take it as it comes.

"That's what majors are about," added the 10-times major winner. "I haven't done anything to ruin my chances, by any means. A few more (under par) would have been great, but there is definitely a long ways to go."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)