Leading Australians Minjee Lee and Karrie Webb made steady starts at the first women's golf major of 2016, the ANA Inspiration.
Young gun Lee carded a one-under-par 71 at Mission Hills Country Club in California to be four shots behind joint leaders Azahara Munoz of Spain and Japan's Ai Miyazato.
Veteran Webb had a 72, with her three birdies offset by three bogeys.
Disappointingly for Australian women's golf, Lee and Webb were the only two Aussies in 111-player field.
New Zealand's world No.1 Lydia Ko shot a first round of 70 to be tied 14th.
Munoz and Miyazato led by one shot from Scotland's Catriona Matthew, South African Lee-Anne Pace and Japan's Shiho Oyama.
Munoz, who has failed to finish higher than 33rd this season and has not recorded an LPGA top 10 since August last year, carded six birdies but dropped back with a bogey on her final hole.
"Obviously one round is not going to completely change my confidence but I am feeling good," Munoz told reporters.
"I have actually been playing really well and my scores haven't shown it at all. I think it was just a matter of time until things started happening and it did today. Hopefully it stays like that."
Miyazato, world number one back in 2010, sat 157th in the rankings before finishing third last week at the Kia Classic.
The 30-year-old opened with four birdies in her opening six holes and then tacked another onto her tally on the 18th to prove her improvement in form was not a false dawn.
"I was really happy to play my game again. I was kind of struggling the last few years but I got through," Miyazato said.
"I am still in the process but I know I am moving forward and I feel good."
Defending champion Brittany Lincicome settled for an even par 72.
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