Australia's defending champion and three-time winner Karrie Webb fired an eagle and five birdies in a five-under 67 to share the clubhouse lead with early riser Wendy Ward at the Women's British Open.

Annika Sorenstam, the Swede who has dominated women's golf for the past two years, returned a 68.

This season's LPGA Championship winner would have tied for the lead but for a bogey six at the 15th where she fired her third shot into deep rough and needed two more to reach the green.

Winner at Turnberry last year after starting and finishing with 66s, Webb had just one five on her card and it shouldn't have been there.

It was at the par four 10th and was one of two bogeys in the first 10 holes. After that the Australian picked up five shots in the last eight to tie Ward's early lead and wind up playing the par 5s at five-under.

"The weather conditions are a lot more favourable than we thought although the wind seems to be picking up," Webb said.

"Anything under par is going to be a great score."

Webb, who won the tournament at Woburn in her rookie season in 1995 and also at Sunningdale two years later, made eagle at the par five 455-yard 15th. Her three-wood ended 25 feet from the flag and she made the putt.

The Australian then holed a 40-foot putt at the 17th for her fifth birdie.

Starting just before 7am, Ward returned a six-birdie round with all but three of the field of 144 either on the course or still to go out.

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