Havre de Grace, MD (My Sportsbook) - Natalie Gulbis shot a five-under-par 67 on Thursday to join Laura Diaz and Laura Davies in the lead after the first round of the McDonald's LPGA Championship.

Two-time defending champion Annika Sorenstam, who has five victories in seven starts in 2005, was one shot further back at four-under-par 68 along with Paula Creamer. Tina Fischer and Sung Ah Yim.

Sorenstam won her first three starts of the season, including the year's first major at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She has won this event each of the last two years and has made public her quest for the single season grand slam.

"There's no secret what my goals are," said Sorenstam, a 61-time winner on the LPGA Tour. "I set my goals last year and I didn't achieve it then. Then I thought this was a natural goal again. If you look at the last two weeks, I think I'm as ready as I can be."

Sorenstam rolled in a 15-foot putt for her first birdie of the day at the par- five 11th, her second hole of the day. Sorenstam then played her approach inside 12 feet for a birdie on the par-four 13th at Bulle Rock Golf Course.

The Swede converted a 10-footer for a birdie at the par-four first and jumped to four-under with a birdie at the par-four fourth. Sorenstam had a chance to secure a piece of first at the par-five eighth after she reached the green in two, but Sorenstam three-putted for par. Sorenstam then missed another birdie chance at the ninth to finish one shot behind the leaders.

"This is a big week for all of us, and a lot is at stake," said Sorenstam. "I have my goals set way back, and now I'm here and I'm ready to play."

Gulbis played alongside Sorenstam and managed a birdie and a bogey over her first nine holes. Gulbis then birdied the par-four first, but found trouble with a bogey at the third.

The 22-year-old persisted and tallied a birdie at the fifth to move to one- under. Gulbis then birdied the sixth and kept on rolling with a birdie at the seventh.

Her eagle try at the eighth came up just short of the hole and Gulbis tapped in for another birdie. Gulbis then hit her second shot to 14 feet at the ninth and ran home the putt for her fifth consecutive birdie and a share of the first-round lead.

"Definitely the way you want to finish the round," said Gulbis. "I actually struck the ball well all day. I had a lot of opportunities for birdies all day and started dropping putts at the end."

Diaz struggled with a bogey at the first, but she answered with a birdie at the very next hole. Diaz then birdied three straight starting at the par-four sixth to go out in 33.

The 30-year-old picked up three consecutive birdies again on the back nine, this time from the 13th, to take the outright lead at six-under par. Diaz faltered with a bogey at the 17th, however, and parred the last for her share of the lead.

Davies, who won this event in 1994, also found trouble early with a bogey at the first. She responded with three consecutive birdies from the sixth and added a birdie at the 11th. Davies then birdied two of her last four holes for a 67 of her own.

Amateur sensation Michelle Wie made the most of her exemption this week with a strong opening round. The 15-year-old was up and down early with a pair of bogeys and a pair of birdies on the front nine, but she made her move on the inward half.

Wie collected a birdie at the par-four 10th to reach one-under and added back- to-back birdies from the 15th to finish within two of the lead. Wie was joined by Mi Hyun Kim and Angela Stanford at three-under-par 69.

"I'm not the kind of person who will back down because people don't want me here and stuff like that," said Wie, who is the first amateur to play this event. "I'm not really sure that I get a lot of extra attention and stuff like that, but if I do, that's great."

Karrie Webb, who won this event in 2001, completed a two-over-par 74 on Thursday to earn her way into the LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame.

"I've known for a few years that as long as I stayed upright and played ten events a year, that I would qualify for the Hall of Fame. So, as today got closer, I got a little more excited, and I was actually really nervous on the first tee," said Webb. "First round of the tournament being a major, I think the butterflies were a little different than that."

The completed round counts as the 10th event of her 10th season on the LPGA Tour.