Such was the setting on the first Thursday of July for the first female major championship ever being contested on this iconic layout. And the course more than lived up to the billing.

“I think it's absolutely right,” said Xiyu ‘Janet’ Lin, of the People’s Republic of China, whose four-under 68 shared the top spot on the leader board with 2018 runner-up Hyo Joo Kim.

Defending champion Minjee Lee leads the Aussie contingent after recording an up and down even par round on Thursday to sit in a share of 21st.

“It's been amazing this couple of days to play here, walk in the town, I love this town. I love Monterrey, the Valley. Everything is so nice here, so chill.

“Just think we're part of the history. I kind of told myself no matter what, this is going to be a memorable week.”

Lin and Kim, who won the 2014 Amundi Evian Championship for her lone major title, own a one-stroke lead over two-time LPGA winner Leona Maguire, Hae Ran Ryu, 2021 runner-up Nasa Hataoka, Bailey Tardy and amateur Aine Donegan.

Two strokes back were 2019 champion Jeongeun Lee6, Amy Yang, Benedetta Moresco and Amari Avery, while major champions Brooke Henderson and Patty Tavatanakit were among eight players to post one-under 71.

One-time major winner Kim shares the lead through 18 holes at Pebble Beach. PHOTO: USGA.

Coming off a tie for third in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol, Lin led the field in strokes gained putting (+3.6) and in the top-15 in strokes gained short game (+1.69). She was bogey free until the par-4 9th hole, her last of the day, when she missed a 10-footer after failing to hit the green in regulation.

Kim, who carded a major-championship-record 61 in the opening round of her Evian win nine years ago, got her day started by rolling in an 11-footer for birdie on the par-5 2nd. More birdies followed at Nos.4, 5 and 8 before registering her lone bogey of the round on the par-4 9th, which was the second toughest in Round 1. She got back to four-under by holing a 20-footer on No.17.

“Tomorrow I'll be playing in the morning, so the course conditions might be different,” said Kim. “But I will adapt as best as I can and I hope to have continuously satisfying shots.”

Tardy qualified for her fourth U.S. Women’s Open in a four-hole sudden-death play-off, but first as a professional having failed to play the weekend in her three previous starts. The one-time Epson Tour winner and current LPGA Tour rookie made one of two eagles in Round 1, rolling in a 14-footer on the par-5 6th hole after an uphill 3-wood approach from 220 yards, while adding birdies at No.7 and 18. Her lone hiccup came on No.16.

Donegan’s first U.S. Women’s Open began with an airline adventure while traveling from last week’s Vagliano Trophy, which Great Britain and Ireland lost by three points to Continental Europe. Her clubs didn’t arrive during the long trek from Dublin to San Francisco. And in the process, one of her two drivers got damaged.

So a bogey-bogey start on Nos.10 and 11 to her first round in a major didn’t faze the 21-year-old rising junior at Louisiana State University.

“Just think we're part of the history. I kind of told myself no matter what, this is going to be a memorable week.” – Xiyu Lin.

All Donegan did was hole a 96-yard approach on the 15th hole for an eagle, and then birdie the iconic par-3 17th to make the turn at one-under. Four birdies in a five-hole stretch from No.2 offset bogeys on Nos.1 and 9.

Last year at Pine Needles, LSU teammate and current World No. 1 amateur Ingrid Lindblad opened with an amateur record 65. Chatting with Lindblad at the Vagliano Trophy, where she posted a 2&1 singles win, and playing a practice round with three-time champion Annika Sorenstam helped her preparation.

“The whole thing has been a bit surreal to be honest,” said Donegan “Nearly every five minutes it's like a pinch-me movement. Even just walking to the putting green and young girls asking for autographs and stuff. It's like, that was me. And to do it at a place like Pebble Beach is something I'll never forget.

“On Tuesday I played 18 holes with Annika, and honestly, it was one of the best days of my life. You learn a lot from her, and at the end of the day she's the icon of the game, the GOAT.”

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Fellow Irishwoman Maguire, who claimed her second LPGA Tour win in Michigan last month, played herself into the final pairing of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship two weeks ago, only to shoot a final-round 74 and share 11th.

Putting that finish in the rear view mirror, the Maguire rolled in in late birdies on 15 and 18. On the closing par-5, she knocked her approach from 115 yards to five-feet.

After a momentum killing bogey, Lee has work to do if she is to become the first back-to-back champion since compatriot Karrie Webb achieved the feat in 2001, while Grace Kim opened with a two-over 74 to sit T39.

The remaining Aussies have their work in front of them to make the weekend, with Hannah Green making three bogeys on her back nine for a four-over 76 and Gabi Ruffels and Maddison Hinson-Tolchard two shots further back in a tie for 114th.