Leona Maguire made an excellent start at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, with an opening two-under-par 70 leaving her in a tie for fourth at the LPGA's season opener.
A Lim Kim holds sway after round one in Orland, with a sterling seven-under 65 ensuring a four-shot lead over fellow South Korean Jin Young Ko and Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit.
Cavan’s Maguire started at the 10th and was out in 35 after hitting three birdies and two bogeys on her front nine.
Further birdies followed at the third and seventh holes, although Maguire dropped a shot on her last, the par-five ninth.
Kim's seven-birdie, bogey-free card gave her ample cushion on the rest of the 32-woman field, all of whom shot between three under and three over in the first round.
"My shot is good. Putting it good. Everything is good," Kim said.
Ranked 55 in the world, Kim's only LPGA victory before last year came at the 2020 US Women's Open.
Last November, in the third-to-final event of the 2024 season, Kim broke through to win the Lotte Championship. Now she's parlaying that strong finish into a headstart in 2025.
World number one Nelly Korda sits on one under, with world number two and defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand one over after the first round.
Additional reporting: Reuters
