Keeping Mum a major factor for pacesetting Stupples

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (Reuters) - Motherhood has made Britain's Karen Stupples more patient and she made the most of that attribute while charging one stroke clear in the Kraft Nabisco Championship first round on Thursday.

The 34-year-old Englishwoman, who gave birth to son Logan James 12 months ago, fired a flawless five-under-par 67 to take control in breezy conditions at Mission Hills Country Club.

"I actually think that having had seven months off from competition did me a world of good because it gave me a chance to recuperate and recharge mentally," Stupples told reporters after setting the pace in the first women's major of the year.

"And then, of course, you have the baby and you go through that and just being active and anxious to play, I think was exciting for me.

"My practice time has to be a little bit more limited now, since I have had the baby, so I have made it much more of a quality practice," added the Florida resident, who clinched her only major title at the 2004 Women's British Open.

"When you have a baby, you have to learn a bit of patience, and that's always been a tough thing for me, so I think it's been really good for me."

Stupples enjoyed competing at Mission Hills for four years in a row from 2003 before missing out last April shortly before becoming a mother for the first time.

"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.

"It's really funny. I would say up until about a month ago I hadn't really regained my full strength and all of a sudden it came back almost overnight," the Briton added.

"That was really good to see, that I was able to get through the ball as well as I was and the rustiness I felt at the end of last year when I came back. I managed to work that out so I was really excited and ready to play."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)