Australian rising star Stephanie Kyriacou recovered from back-to-back bogeys to be three behind the pace after the opening round of the LET Tour event at the Centurion Club.
The 21-year-old was five-under heading to the 11th tee when a pair of bogeys stymied her progress.
But the Sydneysider, who turned heads at the 2020 Australian Ladies Classic by beating an international field by eight strokes at Bonville, steadied by making par on the remaining holes to remain in the mix.
World No.126 Kyriacou eventually posted a three-under 70 to be tied eighth on Thursday.
Scotland's Kelsey MacDonald, with a bogey-free 67, is in a three-way tie for the lead along with Holland's Anne Van Dam and Leonie Harm of Germany.
South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace and another German, Laura Fuenfstueck, were a shot further back with England's Charley Hull and Finland's Karina Kukkonen on four-under.
Australia's World No.14 Minjee Lee is at one-under, her 72 leaving her in a tie for 22nd.
As well as the individual competition, the players' scores are also being entered in a team event.
The players are in teams of four featuring three professionals and one amateur. The two best scores on each hole count.
After the first round, the quartet of Pace, Anne-Lise Caudal, Carolin Kauffmann and amateur James Carson Heard led by one on 16 under from Magdalena Simmermacher, Marta Martin, Kukkonen and Ines Hellmayr.
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