Lydia Ko has made a solid, if unspectacular, start to the third women's golf major of the 2022 LPGA Tour.
Ko, who hasn't won a major since 2016, strayed from par just twice during her opening round on a wet Blue Course at Congressional. A bogey on her fifth hole of the day was balanced out with a birdie on her 11th, leaving her even for the round and tied for 15th place overall on the Women's PGA Championship leaderboard.
However, it's a deceptively positive placing thanks to the efforts of Korea's In Gee Chun who equalled the record for the largest 18-hole lead in a women's major after a sensational eight-under opening round.
Not since Mickey Wright, who also led this tournament by five shots after 18 in 1961, has the tournament seen an early leader like Chun who birdied seven of eight holes during one stretch on Friday.
"I don't know what golf course In Gee is playing," defending champion Nelly Korda said after finishing her round of 71, one shot ahead of Ko.