Leona Maguire is among three players sitting in joint-third after the opening round of the Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey.
The 29-year-old carded a six-under-par 65 to sit three shots off first-round leader Rose Zhang, with Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom on seven under.
Maguire is joined on six under by South Korea’s Narin An and Stephanie Kyriacou.
A bogey at the second proved to be the only blemish on the Cavan native’s scorecard, picking up a shot at the third on her way to four birdies in five holes.
That momentum continued after the turn, with birdies at 10, 12 and 15.
"I felt like I played really nice, gave myself a lot of chances and holed some nice putts. This is probably the best I've ever putted on poana grass, which is nice for a change," said Maguire.
Yeah, feeling good. Had two weeks off before this, so feeling fresh and it's good to get back out again.
It was a more challenging day for Stephanie Meadow, who carded a 73 that left her in a tie for 89th on one over.
Two over at the turn, an eagle at the 12th kickstarted her round before bogeys at 16 and 17 saw her slip back.
However, the 32-year-old finished on a positive note with a birdie at the last.
Zhang carded a career-best and tournament-record nine-under 63 on day one.
While all eyes in the sport are on Nelly Korda as she vies to run her personal winning streak to six straight starts, it was her fellow phenom Zhang who conquered Upper Montclair Country Club with nine birdies and no bogeys. Korda posted a three-under 69 and is tied for 18th.
Zhang, 20, made her professional debut last June at the Mizuho Americas Open in nearby Jersey City and won the tournament.
"It's almost the one-year anniversary I guess for me being on tour," said Zhang, who recently finished up her final exams at Stanford. "I still feel like I'm learning every single week about myself, about how I should approach the golf game, and the lifestyle out here on tour."
Additional reporting: Reuters
