Naples, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Julieta Granada fired a first-round, 6-under 66 on Thursday and she holds a 2-shot lead at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

Granada, who had a couple strong showings at major championships this season, has not won on the LPGA Tour since taking home the 2006 ADT Championship.

"It was a fun day today," Granada said. "I hit a lot of greens and I had plenty of birdie chances. My stroke was on and I was making lots of putts, so that's fun."

Sandra Gal opened up with a 4-under 68 and she is alone in second place at 4- under 68 at Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort.

World No. 2 Stacy Lewis, who narrowly leads world No. 1 Inbee Park in both the season-long Race to the CME Globe and the Player of the Year standings, used a late eagle to jump up the leaderboard and she is tied for third at 3-under 69 with Belen Mozo and Caroline Hedwall.

So Yeon Ryu, Marina Alex, Carlota Ciganda, Sarah Jane Smith, Angela Stanford, Haeji Kang and Hee Young Park are all tied for sixth at 2-under 70.

Park and 17-year-old Lydia Ko, who is currently third in the Race to the CME Globe, shot 1-under 71s and they are tied for 13th with seven others. Lewis, Park and Ko can take home the CME Globe and $1 million prize with an outright win this week.

Defending champion Shanshan Feng carded a 2-under 74 and she is tied for 36th through one round.

On a windy day in Naples, Florida, Granada was rather routine coming out of the gate as she began her first round with six straight pars. Then the birdies started to fall and fall fast.

A pair of birdies on seven and eight got Granada into red numbers and she finished off the front nine with a par to make the turn at minus-2. Another gain on the par-4 10th got Granada to 3-under and she followed that up with a pair of pars on 11 and 12.

Granada drained back-to-back birdies yet again on the par-4 13th and the par-5 14th to jump up to minus-5. The 28-year-old finished strong with three birdies on 15, 16 and 18 to go along with a gain on the par-5 17th.

"I actually love playing in the wind," said Granada. "I do really well at the British Open so I love to control my ball flight in the wind. I take pride in that so every time it's windy I'm looking forward to it."

Gal, beginning her round on the back nine, got off to a hot start with a birdie on No. 10. She slowed down a bit over the next six holes with six straight pars before rolling in an eagle on the par-5 17th. Gal closed out her opening nine with a par on 18, making the turn at minus-3.

Gal gave one of those shots back with a bogey on No. 2, but she coasted to the finish. Four straight pars from three preceded two birdies in a three-hole stretch at seven and nine as Gal vaulted up the leaderboard and into sole possession of second place.

Lewis was slow at the start, but a strong finish helped put her name near the top. Lewis wrapped eight pars on the front nine around a birdie on the par-5 sixth and she made the turn at 1-under.

Lewis began the back nine like she did the front with, five straight pars before rolling in her second gain of the day on No. 15. She gave that shot right back with a bogey on 16, but Lewis found the green in two on the par-5 17th and she rolled in her eagle putt to put her at 3-under. Lewis closed with a par at the last to end there.

Hedwall went bogey-free in her round with birdies on six, 11 and 17, while Mozo made birdies on three, six, eight and 10 to go along with a bogey on No. 17.

NOTES: A 66 is Granada's lowest opening-round score of the year ... Granada finished tied for fifth at the Women's British Open and tied for sixth at the LPGA Championship ... While Lewis, Park and Ko can take home the CME Globe with a win, Michelle Wie, Ryu, Feng, Anna Nordqvist, Chella Choi and Karrie Webb can also win it with a victory and some help ... Lewis leads Park for Player of the Year honors by three points.