Angela Stanford carded a zone-induced, course-record-breaking, 10-under 62 to take a 3-shot lead after the first round of the LPGA’s Safeway International Presented by Coca-Cola in Superstition Mountain, Ariz.

“I think I found the zone today,” she said. “Or, it found me!”

She has every right to be superstitious in the shadow of Superstition Mountain. Something spooky happened on the 18th hole, when a playful, unseen force overtook her mishit approach shot and we all ooed and ahhed as the ball hit short, bounced and jumped, herked and jerked, sidestepped two sprinklers and rolled calmly onto the dance floor.

She said the round seemed to take place in slow-motion. Yeah, you don’t have to move too fast to swing only 62 times. Very nice going, Angela.

And guess who stands in second place? That’s right, #1 in the world, Lorena “The Rock” Ochoa. Her rollercoaster ride around the course ended with a 7-under 65 (with a new putter, too). Seven strokes behind Angela are the world’s #2, Annika Sorenstam, and #4 Paula Creamer, who both shot 69. Suzann Petterson, #3, put her no-doubt very firm signature to a one-under 71 for the first round today.

The forecast for Friday’s round beside Superstition Mountain is partly cloudy, 84-degrees, with the possibility of scores being downright scary.

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