Leona Maguire sits just three shots off the lead after a fine opening round at the Women's PGA Championship.
On an unforgiving course at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, Maguire found her groove with birdies on the sixth and seventh holes. Two more birdies - including on 18 - and a bogey on the back nine saw her sign for a round of 69 and a share of sixth with five other players.
Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa closed with four birdies over her final eight holes and took the outright lead with a five-under 66.
Xiyu Lin and Ruoning Yin of China and Canada's Brooke Henderson were in a tie for second place at four under in the second major of 2023.
Maguire won the Meijer LPGA Classic last week. The 28-year-old is sixth in the CME Globe standings with three consecutive top-seven finishes.
"I think it was a case of resetting, resting, I didn't do a whole lot of extra practice early this week, just played the golf course and tried to be as ready as I could be to go again today," Maguire said of her ability to get last week's win out of the system to prepare for this major.
"A very different test this week, a different mentality, a lot more sort of conservative targets. It really requires all of you energy and your patience.
"I think that's going to be the key for everybody this week, just making sure you pick really good targets and just execute on them.
"A very different test this week, a different mentality, a lot more sort of conservative targets. It really requires all of you energy and your patience.
"Hopefully three more good days like today but any time you shoot under par in a major venue you're always really happy."
Stephanie Meadow had a round to forget and finished on two over after a bogey on the 15th and double bogey on the 17th saw her drop down the leaderboard.
Maguire, Ayaka Furue of Japan and LPGA rookie Celine Borge of Norway finished the morning wave with a share of the lead at two under before the afternoon players passed them. Major champion Yuka Saso of Japan, Jenny Shin of South Korea and Esther Henseleit of Germany later joined the group at 69.
Rose Zhang, the 20-year-old former amateur phenom who won her first start as a professional last month, shot a one-under 70 in her first major round since turning pro. Zhang recovered from two early bogeys by birdieing holes seven, 14 and 18.
World number one Jin Young Ko of South Korea opened with a one-over 72. World number two Nelly Korda struggled to a five-over 76 in her first start after taking more than a month off to deal with back pain.
Frontrunner Pace, 42, was at one-under at the turn before beginning her string of birdies at the par-four 11th hole, then matching it at the par-three 12th. In a four-way tie for the lead heading into her final hole of the first round, Pace then birdied the par-five 18th.
Pace did not think anyone would post a 66 - let alone her - after the course played tough throughout the morning.
"I honestly did not expect to be leading the tournament after Day 1," Pace said. "It's a very, very difficult golf course. To be in my position, I'm just really happy that I had a good score."
Pace's best finish in a major was a tie for sixth at the 2015 Evian Championship.
