Niece of Tiger Woods sets course record at Whistle Bear Golf Club

CAMBRIDGE, Ont. – LPGA rookie Cheyenne Woods took the early lead at the Manulife LPGA Classic Thursday by tying a course record at 9-under 63.

The niece of PGA superstar Tiger Woods now shares the record at Whistle Bear Golf Club with Matt Bettencourt and Jon Mills, who both shot 63 at the Canadian PGA Championship in 2005.

Woods birdied eight holes — including five of the last nine — and had an eagle and one bogey.

Laetitia Beck of Israel and Germany’s Sandra Gal were tied at 8-under 64, and South Korea’s Sei Young Kim and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist were a further stroke back at 7-under 65.

Five players were tied at 6-under par 66, including past Manulife champion Brittany Lang.

Natalie Gleadall of Stratford, Ont., was the top early Canadian finisher at 4-under par 68. She was one of two players that advanced to the Manulife Classic from the Monday qualifier.

Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto shot 1-under 71, while Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls and Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane shot rounds of even 72.

Other Canadians on the course are Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont., Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Sara-Maude Juneau of Quebec City are early in their round.