A year after claiming her maiden LPGA tour title, Australia's Grace Kim is in the hunt again after taking the first-round lead in the LA Championship in California.
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The 23-year-old Sydneysider heads the field with compatriot Hannah Green, who won the tournament on the second extra hole of a playoff last year, lurking in a group sharing eighth spot.
Kim's breakthrough win came last April at the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii, also in a playoff.
She opened her campaign at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday with an opening-round seven-under 64 to sit one clear of her rivals.
Sweden's Maya Stark, Thai golfer Chanettee Wannasaen and South Korea's Sei Young Kim are tied for second.
Stark finished second last week in the Chevron Championship - two behind top-ranked Nelly Korda, who withdrew on Monday a day after her fifth victory in a row.
Playing in the morning session, Kim had three birdies on the front nine and four on the back, capping her bogey-free round with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 18th.
"Well, I chunked my tee shot on the last hole 20 metres short and then I chipped it in," Kim said.
"I think that's pretty cool, in front of everyone."
Former major winner Green carded a four-under 67, recovering from a bogey on the par-5 third, with three birdies between the 12th and 15th the highlight of her round.
Kim was delighted to make a strong start after missing the cut at the Chevron in Houston last week, shooting 76-72.
"If I was to compare my round today to last week, I really focused on just not having too much in my mind," she said.
"I over thought a lot of things through my first and second round last week and struggled a little bit mentally.
"So just that self-belief, not forcing anything, and trusting that my muscle memory of a golf swing would work. Yeah, I guess that kind of worked out well."
Kim didn't want to get ahead of herself as she chased a second LPGA tour title and seventh overall.
"Obviously I had a good day today, but it's a fresh day tomorrow and the weekend," she said.
"So hopefully just another nice, easy round tomorrow. Not too hard on myself. Just accept mistakes if they do come and just take the birdies as they come."
Australian Associated Press
