On the day that women's professional golf finally came to St Andrews it was only fitting that world number one Lorena Ochoa took pride of place for virtually the entire 15 hours of play.

The 25-year-old Mexican began the Ricoh Women's British Open - the event she hopes will bring her her first major title - with a superb six-under-par 67 after teeing off just after 7am.

Ochoa, who has taken over from Annika Sorenstam at the top of the rankings this year, could not hide her delight after taking a two-stroke lead over Swede Louise Friberg and South Korean In-Bee Park.

"I love my start," she said.

"We are already making history just by being here and on the first day we are trying to enjoy it as much as we can and always have a smile on your face."

It was not difficult for her. The early starters had easily the best of the conditions and Ochoa made hay before the wind picked up strength.

She went to the turn in 33, then pitched to three feet on the 10th, hit an eight-iron even closer at the 15th and two-putted the Road Hole 17th, which for the ladies plays as a 453-yard par five.

"It was a really early wake-up call (5am), but I don't mind that. I was really glad that I took advantage of the nice conditions and now I'm in a good position."

Loser of a play-off to Australian Karrie Webb at last year's Kraft Nabisco and runner-up again to American Cristie Kerr at the US Women's Open a month ago, Ochoa rated the 67 her best round of the season so far.

Michelle Wie, playing two groups behind, looked as if she might be saying the same when she put her troubles behind her to reach three under after 10.

But the 17-year-old Hawaiian, who incredibly given her profile has not broken 70 for over a year, bogeyed the 11th, 14th and 16th and by three-putting for par on the 17th had to settle for a level-par 73.

Recovering as she still is from a broken wrist that kept her out of action for nearly five months, Wie still saw plenty of positives, however.

"A couple of shots stung a little, but I was playing really well and there was no lasting pain," she said.

"I had a couple of bad bounces and luck has a lot to do on this course. I think I'm pretty close - I feel like my wrist is getting stronger and stronger and it's hurting less and less.

"I just have to keep my head on and be patient."

Sorenstam was perfectly happy with her one-under 72 in the afternoon - and having been sent a "good luck" text message by Tiger Woods she profited from some on the final hole.

The Swede, using the same yardage book that Woods had in his pocket as he won the 2000 and 2005 Open Championships, followed her birdie on the 17th with a drive that landed on Grannie Clarks Wynd crossing the fairway.

The ball bounded into the Valley of Sin just short of the green over 300 yards away and from there Sorenstam two-putted for another birdie.

Asked if it was a deliberate attempt to hit the road she smiled and said: "Oh yeah. I'm very, very thrilled - I thought I played really, really well. I'm excited. So far so good."

England's Rebecca Hudson and Japanese ace Ai Miyazato both posted 70s, Miyazato coming back from a double-bogey seven on the fifth with five birdies, while defending champion Sherri Steinhauer matched Sorenstam's 72.

Former winner Laura Davies, whose first shot on the Old Course on Tuesday was a drive that missed the widest fairway in golf and went out of bounds, avoided a repeat of that, but still managed only a 79.

Eighteen-year-old American Morgan Pressel, who won her first major this year, had one worse than that, though, and world number two Webb signed for a 77.

With rounds taking in excess of six hours it was late in the evening when Park threatened to take over at the top by having four successive birdies from the ninth.

That put her alongside Friberg, but Park then parred the last six holes to remain two behind Ochoa.

Collated scores (Gbr and Irl unless stated, First round to be completed friday due to darkness (x) denotes amateurs:

67 Lorena Ochoa (Mex)

69 Louise Friberg (Swe), In-Bee Park (Kor)

70 Ai Miyazato (Jpn), Rebecca Hudson

71 Brittany Lincicome (USA), Joanne Mills (Aus), Meena Lee (Kor), Wendy Ward (USA)

72 Tullia Calzavara (Ita), Karine Icher (Fra), Na On Min (Kor), Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (Fra), Sarah Lee (Kor), Jee Young Lee (Kor), Catrin Nilsmark (Swe), In-kyung Kim (Kor), Annika Sorenstam (Swe), Sherri Steinhauer (USA), Candie Kung (Tai)

73 Beth Bader (USA), Paula Creamer (USA), Momoko Ueda (Jpn), Se Ri Pak (Kor), Natalie Gulbis (USA), Michelle Wie (USA), Catriona Matthew, (x) Melissa Reid, Nicole Castrale (USA), Reilley Rankin (USA), Martina Eberl (Ger), Lisa Hall, Young Kim (Kor), Sophie Gustafsson (Swe), Eun Hee Ji (Kor)

74 Nikki Garrett (Aus), (x) Hye Yong Choi (Kor), Beth Daniel (USA), Suzann Petersen (Nor), Becky Brewerton, Stacy Prammanasudh (USA), (x) Naomi Edwards, Moira Dunn, Gloria Park (Kor), Diana D'Alessio (USA), Lotta Wahlin (Swe), Yuri Fudoh (Jpn), Meg Mallon (USA), Linda Wessberg (Swe), Kim Hall (USA), Rebecca Coakley

75 Karen Stupples, Grace Park (Kor), Carri Wood (USA), Michele Redman (USA), Stephanie Louden (USA), Giulia Sergas (Ita), Christina Kim (USA), (x) Belen Mozo (Spa), Brittany Laing (USA), Charlotte Mayorkas (USA), Anja Monke (Ger), Trish Johnson, Mhairi McKay, Maria Hjorth (Swe), Rachel Hetherington (Aus), Lora Fairclough, Joo Mi Kim (Kor)

76 Dina Ammaccapane (USA), Jeong Jang (Kor), Lorie Kane (Can), Jin Joo Hong (Kor), Paula Marti (Spa), Seon Hwa Lee (Kor), Beatriz Recari (Spa), (x) Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Lindsey Wright (Aus), (x) Danielle McVeigh, Miki Saiki (Jpn), Kate Golden (USA), Ji-Yai Shin (Kor)

77 (x) Rachel Bell, Sakura Yokomine (Jpn), Christie Kerr (USA), Shiho Oyama (Jpn), Pat Hurst (USA), Bettina Hauert (Ger), Ashleigh Simon (Rsa), Karrie Webb (Aus), Clare Queen, Alena Sharp (Can), Jimin Kang (Kor), (x) Kerry Smith

78 Julieta Granada (Par), Helen Alfredsson (Swe), Ludivine Kreutz (Fra), Angela Stanford (USA), Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Kirsty Taylor, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe), Angela Park (Bra), Aree Song (Kor), Sarah Kemp (Aus), Wendy Doolan (Aus), Lisa Sorensen (Den), Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (Fra), Sun Young Yoo (Kor)

79 Nina Reis (Swe), Louise Stahle (Swe), Teresa Lu (Tai), Samantha Head, Becky Morgan, Carin Koch (Swe), Birdie Kim (Kor), Laura Davies, Juli Inkster (USA), Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor), Mi-Hyun Kim (Kor), Heather Young (USA), Karin Sjodin (Swe), Katherine Hull (Aus), Aree Song (Kor), Hye Jung Choi (Kor)

80 Il Mi Chung (Kor), Sophie Giquel (Fra), Meaghan Francella (USA), Morgan Pressel (USA), Liselotte Neumann (Swe), (x) Carlota Ciganda (Spa), Anna Rawson (Aus), Kyeong Bae (Kor), Margherita Rigon (Ita)

81 Marcy Hart (USA), Amy Hung (Tai), Veronica Zorzi (Ita), Laura Diaz (USA), Silvia Cavalleri (Ita)

82 Johanna Westerberg (Swe)

83 Janice Moodie

84 Stefanie Croce (Ita)

Retired Eleanor Pilgrim