Creamer started her birdie run at the 12th

R1 LEADERBOARD:
US unless stated
-5 P Creamer, M Mallon
-3 Mi Hyun Kim (Kor), Seon Hwa Lee (Kor), N Gulbis and P Hurst, S Pettersen (Swe)

Paula Creamer birdied the final seven holes to share the lead in the LPGA Tournament of Champions with Meg Mallon after the opening round.

The 21-year-old Creamer hit bogeys at the seventh and ninth holes before starting her birdie blitz at the 12th to give her a five-under-par 67.

Mallon also fired seven birdies and two bogeys as the pair opened up a two-shot lead on the rest of the field.

Britain's Karen Stupples had five birdies in a rollercoaster round of 72.

The event features 35 winners of LPGA events from 2004 through this season.

South Koreans Mi Hyun Kim and Seon Hwa Lee, Americans Natalie Gulbis and Pat Hurst and Norway's Suzann Pettersen are in a five-way share of third place on 69.

The highlight from the 26-year-old Pettersen was an eagle two at the ninth, where she holed out with a wedge from 91 yards.

Scot Catriona Matthew, the second British player in the 35-strong field, started strongly with three birdies in a row but then dropped a string of shots for a 73.

Mexico's defending champion Lorena Ochoa, who won by 10 shots last year, opened with a disappointing 74.