Gerina Piller shot an eight-under 63 on Thursday in the Marathon Classic to take a one-stroke lead over US Women's Open champion Sung Hyun Park and Peiyun Chien.
Winless on the LPGA Tour, Piller had nine birdies and a bogey in the first round at Highland Meadows. The American birdied four of the first five holes and four of the last eight.
Park, the South Korean player who won her first major title last week at Trump National in New Jersey, had seven birdies in a bogey-free round.
Chien, a LPGA Tour rookie from Taiwan, had eight birdies and a bogey.
Kelly Shon, Aditi Ashok and In-Kyung Kim shot 65, Angel Yin and Sandra Changkija followed at 66, and US Solheim Cup players Lexi Thompson, Brittany Lincicome and Alison Lee topped the group at 67.
Stacy Lewis, her US Women's Open chances ruined by a third-round meltdown, had a 69.
Wendy Doolan shot a one-under-par 70 to be the best of the Australians and was tied 48th.
Compatriot Sarah Kemp is two shots further back and will have to shoot low in the second round to make the cut.
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