Top women start well in WA surfing

Australian surfer Tyler Wright has had the highest wave and total scores, with the women's top seeds winning their opening heats at the Margaret River Pro.

Surfing's top women dominated in demanding conditions as their competition started on Friday at the Margaret River Pro.

Australian stars Sally Fitzgibbons, Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright joined in-form Hawaiian Carissa Moore and fellow Americans Lakey Patterson and Courtney Conlogue as round-one winners.

Wright had the best wave score of the six three-surfer heats, a 9.07, and the best total score of 16.74.

Fitzgibbons posted a 9.00 in the double overhead surf on the way to her 16.60.

Moore, who won her heat with a score of 12.93, is the woman to beat at Margaret River.

The reigning world champion has won the opening two rounds of this year's tour and Hawaiian surfers tend to do well in the testing surf at Margaret River.