CARLSBAD, Calif. >> Mirim Lee birdied all four par-5 holes and finished with a bogey-free 7-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kia Classic.

Lee took the outright lead with an 8-foot putt on the par-5 fifth — her 14th hole in her afternoon round at Aviara — and hit a wedge to 3 feet to set up her final birdie on the par-5 eighth. The 24-year-old South Korean player won LPGA Tour events last year in Michigan and China.

“Today was putting,” Lee said.

She struggled last week in Phoenix, finishing 77th in the Founders Cup.

“I practiced a lot this week,” Lee said. “I changed the grip.”

Yani Tseng, winless in 70 starts since her victory in the 2012 event at nearby La Costa, had a 66. 

She finished with a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th after hitting a 150-yard shot from near a fairway bunker with the ball well above her feet — and water to the right of the green.

“I never thought it was going to be that close,” Tseng said. “I was a little like unbalanced, so I kind of tied my shoes a little bit.”

Michelle Wie started on the back nine and struggled with three bogeys. She rebounded with five birdies on her closing nine for a 

3-under 69. Wie is tied for 17th.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko is two strokes back at 67 in the final event before the first major of the season, the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage. The 17-year-old New Zealander has 10 straight 

top-10 finishes and has broken par in her past 25 LPGA Tour rounds.