England’s Charley Hull and Bronte Law produced eye-catching opening rounds at the ANA Inspiration to put themselves in early contention at the first major of the year.
Hull, 25, and 26-year-old Law each carded three under par at Mission Hills Country Club in California.
They sit third behind China’s Shanshan Feng – on five under – and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit on six under.
World number one Jin Young Ko is one of many players yet to finish round one.
The South Korean started her challenge aggressively to reach one under after two holes, while her compatriot and world number two Inbee Park also picked up a shot on the second to reach one under.
Wie back with eye-catching round
Only half of the 120-strong field had finished their rounds when Hull and Law each concluded an impressive opening day.
Neither have won a major championship before but Hull looked in fine touch in chipping in from off the green for eagle on the 11th and she duly added a birdie on the last to finish three under.
Hull has finished in the top 10 on three occasions at the event but Law is yet to secure a top-10 finish in any major.
The Stockport-born player dropped just one shot in her opening 18 holes though to sit prominently.
China’s Feng is making her first start on the Ladies PGA Tour since 2019 and is a surprise early contender, while American Michelle Wie is also within striking distance on two under after a pro-longed spell out of action.
Wie, 31, has taken time away from the Tour to overcome injuries and give birth to her first child but her first major championship round in 650 days proved eventful as she drained huge putts on the first and third holes, and went close to a hole-in-one on the 14th.
“I am just happy to see my name on the first page of the leaderboard,” she told the Golf Channel after her round. “That’s really special to me. Been a long time since I’ve seen that.”
The tournament – in its 50th running – has been classed as a major since 1983 and is seen as hugely significant due to the impetus it has provided in growing women’s golf since 1971.
The world’s top-15 players are all in the field, with a prize fund of $3.1m (£2.2m) being contested.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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