Half Moon Bay, CA -- (Sports Network) - Reigning Women's British Open champion Ji-Yai Shin fired a five-under 67 on Thursday to take the first-round lead of the Samsung World Championship.

Paula Creamer is alone in second place at minus-four at the Ocean Course at Half Moon Bay Golf Links.

Two-time defending champion Lorena Ochoa shot a three-under 69 on Thursday and is part of a group tied for third place.

"I think as long as you finish in the red numbers, and you are in a good position not too far from the lead, is always good to start that way," said Ochoa, who collected her seventh victory of the year last week.

Also at minus-three is Annika Sorenstam, a five-time former winner of this championship. Sorenstam announced her retirement effective at the end of the year, so she will have one last chance to become the first LPGA Tour player to win the same event six times.

"I thought I played well today," said Sorenstam. "I hit a lot of good shots, drives. I'm very happy. It's really a beautiful place and the course gets better the more you play."

Angela Stanford, Na Yeon Choi, Song-Hee Kim and LPGA Championship winner Yani Tseng were also tied for third at 69.

This is the first year at Half Moon Bay Golf Links and the first round featured some troubles. Fog delayed play for close to 30 minutes, but all 20 players in this elite field finished play on Thursday.

Shin did not get off to the kind of start one would expect from a leader. She parred her first seven holes, then broke into red figures with a birdie at the par-five eighth.

She closed her front nine with a six-foot birdie putt at the ninth, but it was really her play on the second nine that got Shin atop the leaderboard.

Shin parred her first two holes on the back side, then rattled off four consecutive birdies from the par-three 12th, all from inside 15 feet. That took Shin to six-under par, but a bogey at the 16th after a poor approach dropped her down a stroke.

Shin parred the final two holes to stay in the lead.

"Actually today my plan was between three-under and five-under," said Shin, who is playing on the LPGA Tour for the first time since her major victory. "My putting was good today."

Creamer mixed three birdies with six pars on her front nine, then got to four- under thanks to a birdie at the par-five 14th.

She bogeyed the 16th hole, but atoned for the error with a birdie at the par- three 17th.

"I feel pretty good where I sit," said Creamer. "My pace was great. It's the first day. Have three days left."

Katherine Hull is alone in ninth at two-under 70, while Jeong Jang is 10th at even-par 72.