By Larry Fine

HAVRE DE GRACE, Maryland (Reuters) - Unheralded American Emily Bastel and 43-year-old Canadian Lorie Kane made the best of soft conditions at the LPGA Championship to share the first-round lead on Thursday.

The pair shot matching rounds of six-under-par 66 at the Bulle Rock golf course, soaked by more than an inch of rain a day earlier.

Australian Lindsey Wright was a stroke off the pace after posting a 67, followed by five players another shot back.

Lurking close by at 69 was world number one Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, gunning for her third successive major win. At 70 were world number two Annika Sorenstam of Sweden and South Korean Pak Se-ri -- both three-times winners of the title.

Defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway registered a 71 on a good day for scoring with greens receptive to approach shots, tees at the ninth and 18th holes moved up, and players allowed to lift, clean and place balls due to the conditions.

A total of 57 players broke par.

"I hit some good shots. It was a good ball-striking day for me," Kane, a four-times winner on tour, told reporters. "You can be a lot more aggressive when the greens are so soft."

Maria Hjorth of Sweden, South Korea's Hong Jin-joo, Australian Rachel Hetherington, American Nicole Castrale and Marisa Baena of Colombia -- who holed out her second shot for eagle at the 389-yard fifth hole -- were knotted at 68.

BOGEY-FREE ROUNDS

Both Bastel -- who had a successful season on the Futures Tour last year to win back her LPGA card -- and Kane made three birdies each side of their bogey-free rounds.

Kane helped her cause by chipping in for birdie on the 415-yard 13th hole.

Bastel, meanwhile, shot a career-best round despite suffering from a cold that gave her coughing fits.

"I was surprisingly calm out there," Bastel said. "I feel so lousy, I was more worried about that. That can help sometimes."

Ochoa and playing partner Karrie Webb of Australia, runner-up at Bulle Rock the last two years, both overcame early double bogeys after starting at the 10th.

Webb began her round bogey-bogey-double bogey, muffing a putt at 11 when she was bothered by a camera clicking, and finding a water hazard on the next hole.

The Australian, however, bounced back to post 71.

Ochoa double-bogeyed the 13th after declaring her tee shot unplayable in deep rough and moving back 60 yards to the 11th fairway to play on. She went on to make five birdies to jump back into contention.

"Today was important, just not to get away too far from the leaders," the Mexican said. "Tomorrow I start in the morning and I'm hoping I can shoot a great round."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)