Friday 17 November 2017 08:19, UK
Defending champion Charley Hull posted an opening-round 70 to get within four strokes of the early leaders at the CME Group Tour Championship.
Hull, who claimed a maiden LPGA Tour title in last year's event, mixed five birdies with a bogey and a double-bogey to stay in touch with pacesetters Sarah Jane Smith and Peiyun Chien.
Smith and Chien - both chasing their first LPGA Tour victories - carded blemish-free 66s to lead at Tiburon Golf Club, with Lydia Ko and Sung Hyun Park part of the group a shot off the pace.
"I holed some nice putts," Smith said. "It was a bit rough in the beginning, but (I) holed some nice putts for par and sort of kept it going, and then made some good birdies coming in."
Smith followed an eagle-three at the sixth with four gains in an eight-hole stretch from the eighth, as Chien birdied three of her five holes on her way to getting to six under.
Suzann Pettersen birdied four of her last six holes to get within one of the leaders, with Ko holing a penultimate-hole eagle to get to five under and join Park, Azahara Munoz and Karine Icher in tied-third.
Park, who would overtake Lexi Thompson at the top of the season-long CME Race to the Globe standings and claim the $1million bonus with victory this week, posted seven birdies and two bogeys in her round.
Hull threatened the lead after reaching the turn in 33 and picking up a shot at the par-five first, only to slip down the leaderboard with a bogey at the third and double-bogey at the next.
Watch the CME Group Tour Championship throughout the week on Sky Sports Golf. Coverage continues on Friday from 9.30pm.
