Leona Maguire - © LPGA

Lexi Thompson, who collapsed in the last round, during the US Women's Open at the nearby Olympic Club, posted a 71 - (1) card after one round while Michele Wie West returned a 73 card. (+1).

On leave last week after failing qualifying for the US Women's Open, Leona Maguire made nine birdies against two bogeys. The 26-year-old former Duke star tied the tournament record, with a stunning 65, (-7), missing a chance to beat him when she concluded with a bogey on the par-5 of the 9 .

"It's a difficult golf course", Maguire said. “You really have to hit a lot of fairways and greens. I've been playing well lately, and it's been going well this morning. "

Thailand's Jasmine Suwannapura made a card of 66, with a birdie on the par-5 of 18 late in the afternoon to come back to a point.

Albane Valenzuela, the former Stanford player from Switzerland, was one step behind Alison Lee. Her former teammate Emily Wang served as a caddy for Valenzuela.

"Yesterday she obtained her master's degree in international politics and she is a Rhodes Foundation scholarship holder", said Valenzuela. "So she's probably, I have to say, the smartest caddy of the week because she's smarter than everyone else." "

Thompson offset his bogeys at holes 2 and 3 with an eagle on the fifth par-5, birdied the other three par-5s, and had two bogeys. On Sunday at the Olympic, she lost a five-stroke lead, playing the last seven holes in five over par to finish within one stroke of a playoff won by Yuka Saso.

Wie West was 4 over par with 4 holes remaining, then eagle on the 15th par-5 and birdi on the 16th par-4. She has yet to pass the cut in her four starts since returning from the birth of her first child, scoring 74-80 last week at the Olympic.

Hall of Fame member Inbee Park was four shots behind with a score of 69, along with Jennifer Kupcho, Da Yeon Lee, Mariajo Uribe, Jane Park and Lauren Kim.

"The atmosphere is a little different from this week"said Inbee Park, who finished seventh at the Olympic. “It just allows me to relax a bit more after last week. "

Maguire played alongside the two former tournament champions, Sei Young Kim (2018) and her neighbor from Florida Lydia Ko (2019). Ko made five birdies and five bogeys totaling a score of 72, while Kim made four birdies and five bogeys for a 73 card.

"It was great fun playing with Lydia", said Maguire. “We've played a lot together over the last few months at Lake Nona and she's a great player. Obviously, Sei Young too and they know what they're doing around here, they've had good successes, so I tried to learn a bit from them. "

Maguire birdied four on the first six holes, dropped a shot on the 16th par-4, then birdied three in a row. She added two more birdies before making a final bogey on the course that reminds her of Ireland.

"I guess the weather is similar at home, even the golf course is similar to my home", said Maguire. “It's very green and lined with trees, a bit like home. Northern California was good for me and I won my first Symetra event not too far from here, so this kind of golf course suits my eye. "

Rachel Heck of Stanford, the NCAA Player of the Year playing on a sponsor exemption, started with a 76 in the squad with Wie West.

Lucy Li, also on the course thanks to a sponsor exemption, totaled 71.

Brooke Henderson recorded a 77. She birdied two of the first three, then lost seven strokes with five bogeys and a double bogey.

Saso and Nasa Hataoka, loser of the Women's Open playoffs, did not participate in the event.

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