<\/p>\n
Lee, a 28-year-old American looking for her first Tour win, birdied four of her first five holes and, after a bogey at No.16, repeated the feat on her 7th.<\/p>\n
She pieced together four straight birdies, and five in the next six holes, to reach eight-under at Superstition Mountain Golf Club before a bogey on her final hole dropped her into a three-way tie for top spot.<\/p>\n
South Korea’s Shin, 30, is looking for her first win since 2016. She posted seven birdies from holes eight through 18 to earn a share of the lead in the tour’s first full-field event of the season.<\/p>\n
Lopez had a bogey-free round. The 29-year-old Mexican started on the back nine and made the turn at four under par before adding three birdies on the front side.<\/p>\n
Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff were tied for fourth after opening 66s.<\/p>\n
Ten players are tied for sixth place at five-under, as 114 golfers in the 142-player field carded a score of even par or better.<\/p>\n
Steph Kyriacou was the most successful Australian on day one, ending tied at 16th with a first round four-under 68.<\/p>\n
Grace Kim was two shots further back on 70, in a tie for 48th, while Sarah Kemp shot 72, and Hannah Green and Karis Davidson each carded 73.<\/p>\n
The event will debut the LPGA’s new cut policy.<\/p>\n
The cut after 36 holes will include the top-65 players and ties advancing to the weekend. Previously, the top-70 players and ties advanced to the final rounds.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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