Nelly Korda shot a bogey-free 65 to take a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the LPGA Chevron Championship on Thursday, the first major women’s golf tournament of the year. The 27-year-old American, who is currently ranked second in the world, birdied two of her last three holes at Memorial Park in Houston to secure the early advantage.

Korda, the defending Chevron champion from 2024, recorded a seven-under par round that marked her second-lowest opening score in a major since the 2022 Evian Championship. The round was notable for its precision, especially given the variable wind conditions she encountered throughout her round. “The wind was picking up here and there,” Korda said. “Through the trees it was definitely gusting, so I had to lock in on a couple of yardages here and there. Overall, I just felt really good, though, out there.” This was Korda’s first bogey-free round since the second round of the 2024 Women’s British Open.

Trailing Korda by two strokes were Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit and South Korea’s Lee So-mi, who each carded 67. Tavatanakit, the 26-year-old Bangkok native and 2021 Chevron champion (then known as the ANA Inspiration), also posted a bogey-free start. Her round included birdies on the par-five first, third, and eighth holes, along with scores on the par-three 15th and par-four 17th. Reflecting on her performance, Tavatanakit said, “I feel like I was just out there enjoying the moment. It wasn’t perfect. I wish I would have hit my driver a little bit better. I was able to scramble around and save some good pars. It’s still not like where I want it to be. At the same time I’m not out there to chase perfection. My job is to get the ball inside the hole as fast as I can and I feel like did that really well.”

Four players shared fourth place at 68, including China’s Liu Yan, Japan’s Yuri Yoshida, France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, and 20-year-old American amateur Farah O’Keefe.

Korda, who has already won two tournaments this season—including the season-opening Tournament of Champions—and three runner-up finishes on the LPGA Tour, credited learning from her experience at the tournament’s first-year venue. “I would say miss in the correct spots,” she said, highlighting a key strategy to success on the Memorial Park layout. A six-foot birdie putt at the par-three seventh hole put Korda into the sole lead, followed by a five-foot birdie at the par-five eighth, which extended her margin before she finished with a closing par.

The LPGA Chevron Championship continues through the weekend at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, where players will seek to claim the prestigious season’s first major title.