Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa set the early pace at the Kroger Queen City Championship with a 7-under-par 65 in the first round on Thursday in Maineville, Ohio.
Buhai racked up eight birdies and carries a one-shot lead into Friday. Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and Yan Liu of China are at 6-under 66 after their first round through TPC River's Bend, which is hosting the tournament for the first time.
It was an eventful day here @queencityLPGA 👀@ash_simon currently has the lead at -7 💪
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The group tied at 5-under 67 includes World No 1 Nelly Korda, Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Leona Maguire of Ireland. Also part of that tie are Savannah Grewal of Canada, Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand, Peiyun Chien of Taiwan, Polly Mack of Germany and Angel Yin.
For now, they're all looking up at Buhai, the 2022 Women's Open champion with 22 professional wins worldwide, most of them in her native South Africa.
"I hit it great, putted well. That tends to add up to what it did," Buhai said.
"Yeah, I think I was just smart with when I could attack. At the same time, play to spaces. There were a few pins out there where you had to still try to be aggressive, and the greens got a little firm and ran through, but then made some good up and downs to keep me in it."
Buhai birdied the par-3 16th hole to move to 7 under before carding her lone bogey at the following hole. She made up for it at No 18, a par-5, with her final birdie of the day.
She said she liked how TPC River's Bend had three reachable par-5 holes.
"I'm not long. I'm probably average out here and I could get up to three of the par-5s, which was kind of nice for a change," Buhai said. "So I think it is set up to go low, but at the same time, there were some pretty tricky pins out there that were front and kind of downwind and you ended up being long and I just had to take that and chip back."
Thitikul, 21, is a former World No 1 but is searching for her first individual LPGA win in two years. She teamed up with China's Ruoning Yin to win the Dow Championship, the tour's lone team event, in June.
"I think why I play well is also my mindset is kind of relaxed," Thitikul said. "... So just kind of make me like playing good, not like put pressure on myself that much."
Thitikul played her round with Korda, who hit all 14 fairways in regulation and played a bogey-free round. It's her first action since helping the United States defeat Team Europe in the Solheim Cup.
"Everyone that played last week is going to be tired," Korda said. "I'm just trying to take it one step at a time, know that my energy levels aren't the greatest, but I'm still motivated and 100 per cent."
Ko also went bogey-free Thursday and is playing for the first time since winning the Women's Open just two weeks after her Olympic triumph.
"I think my husband and I kind of turn to each other at times and go, ‘Wow, I can't believe you won the Olympics and then the AIG Women's Open.' So it was kind of like being punched in the face twice in a very good way," Ko quipped. "Obviously very grateful."
Australia's Minjee Lee, the defending champion, opened with a 1-under 71.
FIRST ROUND SCORES:
-7 Ashleigh Buhai (South Africa) 65
-6 Yan Liu (China PR) 66
Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand) 66
-5 Angel Yin (USA) 67
Lydia Ko (New Zealand) 67
Jasmine Suwannapura (Thailand) 67
Savannah Grewal (Canada) 67
Polly Mack (Germany) 67
Nelly Korda (USA) 67
Leona Maguire (Republic of Ireland) 67
Peiyun Chien (Chinese Taipei) 67
-4 Xiaowen Yin (China PR) 68
Ruixin Liu (China PR) 68
Gaby Lopez (Mexico) 68
Jin Hee Im (Korea Republic) 68
Yealimi Noh (USA) 68
Maria Fassi (Mexico) 68
Bianca Pagdanganan (Philippines) 68
Lindy Duncan (USA) 68
Dewi Weber (Netherlands) 68
Kaitlin Milligan (USA) 68
Celine Borge (Norway) 68
Sei Young Kim (Korea Republic) 68
Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Denmark) 68
Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden) 68
-3 Alena Sharp (Canada) 69
Frida Kinhult (Sweden) 69
Minami Katsu (Japan) 69
Hae-Ran Ryu (Korea Republic) 69
Kristen Gillman (USA) 69
Sophia Schubert (USA) 69
Laetitia Beck (Israel) 69
Linn Grant (Sweden) 69
Stephanie Kyriacou (Australia) 69
-2 Weiwei Zhang (China PR) 70
Isabella Fierro (Mexico) 70
Charley Hull (Great Britain) 70
Mi Hyang Lee (Korea Republic) 70
Cheyenne Knight (USA) 70
Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden) 70
So Mi Lee (Korea Republic) 70
Sofia Garcia (Paraguay) 70
Azahara Munoz (Spain) 70
Lindsey Weaver (USA) 70
Albane Valenzuela (Switzerland) 70
A Lim Kim (Korea Republic) 70
Ryann O'Toole (USA) 70
Grace Kim (Australia) 70
Wei-Ling Hsu (Chinese Taipei) 70
Robyn Choi (Australia) 70
Annabelle Pancake (USA) 70
-1 Pavarisa Yoktuan (Thailand) 71
Jing Yan (China PR) 71
Jeongeun Lee5 (Korea Republic) 71
MinJi Kang (Korea Republic) 71
Lexi Thompson (USA) 71
Marina Alex (USA) 71
Nicole Broch Estrup (Denmark) 71
Maude-Aimee Leblanc (Canada) 71
Muni He (China PR) 71
Matilda Castren (Finland) 71
Jiwon Jeon (Korea Republic) 71
Aline Krauter (Germany) 71
Minjee Lee (Australia) 71
Pajaree Anannarukarn (Thailand) 71
Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 71
Yuna Nishimura (Japan) 71
Caroline Masson (Germany) 71
Marissa Steen (USA) 71
0 Paula Reto (South Africa) 72
Gemma Dryburgh (Scotland) 72
Liqi Zeng (China PR) 72
Alexa Pano (USA) 72
Perrine Delacour (France) 72
Mina Harigae (USA) 72
Morgane Metraux (Switzerland) 72
Mone Inami (Japan) 72
Georgia Hall (Great Britain) 72
Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 72
Jeongeun Lee6 (Korea Republic) 72
Gabriella Then (USA) 72
Gina Kim (USA) 72
1 Yue Ren (China PR) 73
Mary Liu (China PR) 73
Lucy Li (USA) 73
Nasa Hataoka (Japan) 73
Yuka Saso (Japan) 73
Gabriela Ruffels (Australia) 73
Rose Zhang (USA) 73
Hinako Shibuno (Japan) 73
Elizabeth Szokol (USA) 73
Hyo Joon Jang (Korea Republic) 73
Ssu-Chia Cheng (Chinese Taipei) 73
Laura Wearn (USA) 73
Annie Park (USA) 73
Yuri Yoshida (Japan) 73
Na Rin An (Korea Republic) 73
Mao Saigo (Japan) 73
Gigi Stoll (USA) 73
Jennifer Song (USA) 73
Su-Hyun Oh (Australia) 73
Gianna Clemente (USA) 73
2 Aditi Ashok (India) 74
Kiira Riihijarvi (Finland) 74
Natthakritta Vongtaveelap (Thailand) 74
Kaitlyn Papp (USA) 74
Haeji Kang (Korea Republic) 74
Arpichaya Yubol (Thailand) 74
Linnea Strom (Sweden) 74
Nataliya Guseva (Russia) 74
Esther Henseleit (Germany) 74
Gurleen Kaur (USA) 74
Min Lee (Chinese Taipei) 74
Malia Nam (USA) 74
Lauren Hartlage (USA) 74
Amy Yang (Korea Republic) 74
Hira Naveed (Australia) 74
Emma Talley (USA) 74
Daniela Darquea (Ecuador) 74
Roberta Liti (Italy) 74
3 Caroline Inglis (USA) 75
Jaravee Boonchant (Thailand) 75
Dottie Ardina (Philippines) 75
Yu-Sang Hou (Chinese Taipei) 75
Alana Uriell (USA) 75
Yani Tseng (USA) 75
Sophia Popov (Germany) 75
Ilhee Lee (Korea Republic) 75
4 Rachel Rohanna (USA) 76
Gabrielle Woods (USA) 76
Cydney Clanton (USA) 76
Amari Avery (USA) 76
Jennifer Chang (USA) 76
Alexandra Forsterling (Germany) 76
Sandra Gal (Germany) 76
Christina Kim (USA) 76
5 Kelly Tan (Malaysia) 77
Brianna Do (USA) 77
Agathe Laisne (France) 77
Yana Wilson (USA) 77
6 Auston Kim (USA) 78
Eun-Hee Ji (Korea Republic) 78
Danielle Kang (USA) 78
Anna Morgan (USA) 78