Sunday 25 May 2014 09:40, UK
Catriona Matthew topped the leaderboard from Charley Hull after the opening round of the Airbus LPGA Classic in Mobile, Alabama.
Matthew's round of 64 left her one shot clear of Hull, with Ji Eun-Hee, Suzann Pettersen and 2012 winner Stacy Lewis tied for third.
The 44-year-old Matthew started on the back nine and made a rocky start as she bogeyed the par-four 12th.
But the Scot immediately recovered with an eagle on the par-five 13th, and a run of four straight birdies powered her into the lead by the time she took the tee on the third hole.
Matthew added another three birdies to ensure she ended the day on top even as Lewis and England's Hull tried to come back.
"Obviously I'm really pleased," Matthew said. "I've just had two weeks at home so never quite know what you're going to come out and play like, so I'm delighted.
"I got the putter going and holed some putts, which is nice."
Hull, among the later starters, set a steady pace, making the turn in 32 and hovering around the lower end of the top 10 before back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th catapulted her into second place.
Lewis, starting on the back nine, had four straight birdies before making the turn, but after picking up shots on the fifth and sixth holes, she dropped one on the seventh to leave the way clear for Matthew.
