Lydia Ko found her poise on the closing holes but an unheralded Kiwi compatriot sat atop the leaderboard after Friday's first round of the New Zealand Women's Open in Christchurch.
Defending champion Ko rallied on her back nine to shoot a three-under-par 69 and share third place with four other golfers at Clearwater Golf Club.
The 16-year-old world No.4 opened with a birdie but three bogeys in the space of four holes left her two-over at the turn.
She rattled off six birdies in her last eight holes, admitting she wasn't sure what sparked the sudden swing in momentum.
"I wasn't hitting it well. I wasn't really into it or fully focused," she said.
"I thought 'oh my god, this is not going to be good'.
"Just trying to be confident was one of the hardest things I had to do and I think I'm in a good position right now."
Ko chipped in for two on her final hole, the par-3 ninth, to a roar from the large gallery that followed her playing her first round as a professional on New Zealand soil.
The leaders on four-under are Korean Seon Woo Bae, who was fourth in this tournament last year, and former New Zealand amateur representative Stacey Tate.
Tate, 29, is returning to golf this year after quitting the sport in 2009 following a stint at the University of Memphis and on the US secondary women's tour.
She returned to the "real world" to get some perspective on life, working in real estate and personal training before securing an administrative job at a Sydney golf club.
That prompted the former North Harbour representative to pursue a card on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf tour this year.
"It's always quite nerve-racking to come to your national open and want to do well," she said.
"Once I got into the round, it just started to flow."
Tate was two shots clear of the field with two holes to play but was disappointed to close with bogeys on the eighth and ninth.
Ko shares third place with an international group on 69 comprising English playing partner Charley Hull, Australian Sarah Jane Smith, Frenchwoman Alexandra Vilatte and Korean Hyeji Lee.
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