CNNSI

MARKHAM, Ontario (AP) -- Se Ri Pak, Rosie Jones and Kelly Robbins are playing it safe in the Canadian Women's Open.

Avoiding the thick rough with conservative tee shots, the three shot nearly mistake-free 7-under-par 65s Thursday in favorable scoring conditions to share the first-round lead.

Pak, the 23-year-old South Korean who won the Women's British Open two weeks ago, missed only two fairways and birdied all four par-5s as drizzle softened the greens.

"I drove great," Pak said. "I really had a lot of opportunities to make birdies. It's hard if you miss the fairways. This golf course can be really tough."

The 41-year-old Jones, seeking her third victory of the year, matched Pak with a bogey-free round on Angus Glen's South Course.

"I'm just playing really consistent good golf and not making many mistakes," Jones said. "I'm hitting good shots when I need them and really putting well. I haven't made any mistakes with my putter, and I'm making the putts I should."

Robbins, a nine-time winner in 10 seasons on the LPGA Tour, had eight birdies after three-putting for a bogey on her opening hole.

"I actually didn't hit it that well," Robbins said. "I know that sounds strange. I just didn't make any mistakes."

She missed only one fairway, with the ball stopping short of the thick rough.

"It looks nasty," Robbins said. "It looks like if you hit it in there, you just take your medicine, chip it out and go from there."

While the leaders took full advantage of the calm conditions, Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb managed only 71s. The weather could be a big factor Friday, with forecasters predicting more rain and 15-25 mph afternoon gusts.

Barb Mucha was a stroke behind the leaders. Charlotta Sorenstam, Annika's younger sister, had a hole-in-one to join Donna Andrews and Diana D'Alessio at 67.

Jones won the Kathy Ireland Championship in April and took the Big Apple Classic last month for her 12th career victory. She's coming off a fourth-place finish last week in the Wendy's Championship for Children, and shot a 65 Wednesday in the pro-am.

"Usually when you do that, you kind of feel that you better save some of those birdies, but I've been playing really well the last week," she said. "I feel good about continuing that."

Jones was second last season at Royal Ottawa in the du Maurier Classic, her ninth top-10 finish in 18 appearances in the event that folded last year because of Canada's restrictions on tobacco promotions. The Canadian Women's Open, sponsored by the Bank of Montreal, took the du Maurier's spot on the tour schedule.

Charlotta Sorenstam aced the 145-yard 12th with a 7-iron, her third hole-in-one on tour and seventh overall. She also had a hole-in-one in April in the Longs Drugs Challenge.

"It carried just short of the pin. I didn't see it go in, but I saw it when I got up there," she said.

Dawn Coe-Jones topped the 16 Canadians in the field with a 68 and Rachel Teske and Catriona Matthew also were 4 under along with Karen Weiss, Maria Hjorth, Kate Golden, Susie Redman, Marilyn Lovander, Suzanne Strudwick and Monday qualifier Hee-Won Han.

Canadians Lorie Kane, A.J. Eathorne and Nancy Harvey and 2000 du Maurier winner Meg Mallon topped an 11-player group at 69.

Divots: D'Alessio, the first-round leader last year at Royal Ottawa en route to a fourth-place finish, has earned only $42,731 in 21 events this year. "I just haven't been able to put together three or four good rounds," she said. ... Jocelyne Bourassa is the only Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event in Canada. She won the 1973 La Canadienne.