Thidapa Suwannapura upstaged compatriot and world No.1 Ariya Jutanugarn as Thailand dominated the opening round leaderboard at the Blue Bay LPGA in China.
Suwannapura, the world No.89, shot a four-under 68 to lead the tournament by one shot from Jutanugarn and Alena Sharp of Canada.
Suwannapura gave her iron play credit for her round at the Jian Blue Bay golf club on Wednesday after defying windy conditions that she said she seldom sees at home.
And after undergoing surgery on her back almost two years ago, she's still rebuilding her game.
"After surgery I had to change my swing a little bit," she said. "I could not use the same muscles. I usually use a lot of my back, and then broke my back - and then I had to use some other parts."
She said her back was getting "better and better," but lamented her putting.
"I feel like putting, it's a weakness of my game," she said. "I hit it so straight. I hit a lot of fairways. ... Putting, just please putting."
Six other players were two shots back and five others were just three off the lead in the 72-hole tournament, which concludes the LPGA's Tour's Asian swing.
Su Oh was the leading Australian at even-par after a 72 while Sarah Jane Smith and Hannah Green recorded rounds of 74 and 75 respectively.
