Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul overcame an early double bogey to finish with the first-round lead at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, while Leona Maguire rediscovered some form at an opportune time as a first-round 72 left her four shots off the lead.
With the second wave still on course last night in the third major of the season, Maguire’s even-par round left her four shots behind pace-setter Thitikul while a bogey at the last denied Australia's Minjee Lee a share of the clubhouse lead.
Cavan’s Maguire has been struggling as of late, four missed cuts in succession seeing her drop to 87th in the world rankings, so this was just the tonic.
Maguire played her first nine holes in one over-par with her sole bogey coming at the 454-yard par-four fifth.
A beautifully read putt for birdie on the 11th got her back level before another birdie at the 14th, following a fine approach to inside six foot, saw her under-par for her round.
She did let a shot go at 16 as a putt raced by, but overall it was a productive start for Maguire.
Thitikul shot a 4-under-par 68 to hold a one-stroke edge over Australia's Minjee Lee.
Yealimi Noh, South Korea's Somi Lee and Haeran Ryu and Japan's Rio Takeda are tied for third at 70.
A nine-way tie for seventh place at 71 features Auston Kim, Angel Yin, Taiwan's Peiyun Chien, Japan's Yuna Nishimura and Chisato Iwai and South Korea's In Gee Chun, Youmin Hwang, Shinsil Bang and Kumkang Park.
Thitikul double-bogeyed the par-4 fifth hole and was 2 over par through six holes. She then went on a tear, birdieing five of the next seven holes, and she added another birdie at No. 17 while completing a bogey-free back nine.
"I think my putter went really well today," Thitikul said. "You know, like in the front nine we had a lot of breeze going and more than the back nine, but (I made putts at) 7, 8, 9, which boost the confidence up making the turn to the back nine."
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