Australia's Minjee Lee shot a four-under par 67 to be two shots off the pace after the opening round of the Meijer LPGA Classic at the Blythefield Country Club.
The 20-year-old had it going until she struck trouble on the back nine, with bogeys on par threes at No.12 and 14 to be in a big group in a tie for 13th that includes last week's Women's PGA champion Brooke Henderson and New Zealand's world No.1 Lydia Ko.
They are two back from a five-way tie for the lead that includes Laura Davies, who wound back the clock on the opening day.
The 52-year-old Brit had seven birdies and one bogey on her way to a six-under 65.
"I've been playing well recently, but I haven't been holing any putts," said Davies, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
"Today, I holed some putts, so that's what I put it down to 100 per cent."
The long-hitting English player won the last of her 20 LPGA Tour titles in 2001.
Davies is joined at the top of the leaderboard by Korean Sei Young Kim, South African Paula Reto, Spain's Carlota Ciganda and defending champion Lexi Thompson.
Thompson, playing the front nine last, looked the goods late in her round - closing with an eagle at the par-five first before making birdies at holes three, four, five and eight.
"A lot of great memories," Thompson said.
"I just replayed a lot of the shots I hit basically the last round. I remembered a lot. There was actually a lot of Sunday pins from last year today."
Ko, who lost to Henderson in a playoff at the Women's PGA to be denied a third straight major title, was happy to be two shots off the pace on what she described as a tough opening day.
"It was a pretty consistent day," Ko said.
"I had a few putts where it was close to going in but didn't fall. You've got to commit to your lines and put a good stroke on it. But I'm happy to start with a 67."
While Lee leads the Aussie charge, she is not the only one in contention.
Katherine Kirk is one back from Lee at three-under and Sue Oh, who is chasing Karrie Webb for an Olympic berth, is one-under the card.
Sarah Jane Smith is equal with Oh at one-under, while Webb had a terrible finish to her round making consecutive bogeys at her final three holes to finish one-over.
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