Ariya Jutanugarn has chipped in for birdie on the final hole of the first round of the Toto Japan Classic to grab a share of the lead with Soo-Yun Kang.
Jutanugarn birdied six of the last 11 holes in her bogey-free effort to end up with a six-under 66 on Friday, holing out from 10.6m on the 18th in the LPGA Tour's first visit to the Tokyo area since 1991.
The 20-year-old Thai star leads the LPGA Tour with five victories and has a 13-point lead over New Zealand's Lydia Ko in the player-of-the-year standings.
Kang birdied three of her final four holes and had only 22 putts on the Taiheiyo Club's pine tree-lined Minori Course.
The 40-year-old South Korean player won the LPGA Tour's 2005 Safeway Classic and is now a regular on the Japan LPGA.
She won the Suntory Ladies in June for her second Japanese title.
In the Australian contingent, Minjee Lee (69) is tied for seventh at three under, Karrie Webb (71) is tied for 26th and Su Oh is even par.
Ko is tied for 57th at two over with Aussie Sarah Jane Smith.
American Stacy Lewis and South Korea's Jenny Shin shot 67, and South Korea's Ha Na Jang and Germany's Sandra Gal followed at 68 in the sixth and final event on the LPGA Tour's fall Asian swing.
Lewis won the 2012 event at Kintetsu Kashikojima.
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