The 22-year-old rookie from Sydney, who finished in a tie for 10th in her last outing at the Cognizant Founders Cup, drained birdies on the 3rd, 4th and 6th holes in a hot start to end day one joint-fifth.

However, it was all eyes on two-time NCAA champion Rose Zhang making her professional debut. She delivered the LPGA Tour what was expected and needed on Thursday, a solid opening round that put her in position to shake up women's golf.

The 20-year-old from Stanford who has dominated the women's amateur rankings for more than two years shot two-under at Liberty National. The Californian is five strokes off the early lead held by fellow American Lauren Hartlage.

Aditi Ashok, who has two top-five finishes in her last three events and is the first player from India to be ranked inside the world’s top-50, is second after her bogey-free 67 in a tournament where the focus shifted to Zhang last weekend with her announcement, she was turning pro.

Zhang didn't dominate on her first day as a pro but she showed enough, making five birdies and three bogeys on a day her putter didn't help her.

"This was definitely a round that could have been better, and that kind of gets me excited to work on more and to develop my game even further," Zhang said.

"I felt like I left a couple shots out there, and I think there is a lot of room for improvement."

On the par-5 13th, she chipped in from 29 yards, coming in from below the hole and having the ball track across the length of the green before finding the bottom of the cup.

The fans following her group made their appreciation known. It was what they expected from the player who has won has won back-to-back Annika Awards as the best college player, and won the Augusta National Women's Amateur in April.

Her eight wins this season tied Tiger Woods for the most by a Stanford player in school history, and her 12 wins in 20 college starts are a school record.

"I don't really have to think about other people's expectations," Zhang said.

"I think of it as a compliment that they think I'm capable of more. But on the overall level, I think I have people that just want me to do the best I can and they push me to be better."

Zhang will need to be better if Hartlage continues playing as well as she did.

Starting on the par-5 10th, Hartlage ignited her career-best round by hitting her second shot to within a foot and making eagle. She added five more birdies over the final 17 holes.

Aussie Steph Kyriacou carded an even-par 72, while compatriots Sarah Jane Smith and Minjee Lee shot one-over 73s, Karis Davidson five over and Sarah Kemp an eight-over 80.