Rudgeley, 24, who secured her only WPGA Tour title in 2022 at the Athena as an amateur, handled the stiff afternoon sea breeze with ease, with birdies at the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 8th holes, followed by another at the short par-4 11th.

She surged up the leaderboard with back-to-back birdies on the two par-fives at the 13th and 14th holes. A bogey on the tricky par four 6th, was her only blemish of the day.

“I felt pretty comfortable out there,” Rudgeley said. “I handled myself well in the wind and putted nicely today, which is always good to see. I actually enjoy playing in the wind - it makes golf more creative.”

Rudgeley's co-leader, Nuria Iturrioz, put together a remarkable round with seven birdies and just one bogey. The four-time LET champion flew home on the back nine, going bogey-free to card a five-under 31.

The 29-year-old Spaniard is aiming for her fifth LET title, with her last victory coming in 2023 at the La Sella Open in Spain.

“I was at peace out there,” Iturrioz said. “I love this course. I was lucky that from the ninth hole onwards there was no wind.

"My putts dropped and I played really well. I only missed one fairway and had a couple of small mistakes, but nothing major, so I’m very happy.”

Sweden’s Anna Magnusson trails the leaders at five under (66), while seven players sit tied for fourth at four under in a tight leaderboard.

India’s Diksha Dagar, a two-time LET winner, also made a strong start with an aggressive approach which saw her finish at four under, capitalising on the calmer morning conditions.

The highest-placed amateurs after day one are Korea’s Hinata Ikeba, who sits at two-under, tied for 19th alongside reigning NSW Amateur champion Grace Rho.

With similar conditions expected for the second round, followed by a forecast 180-degree wind shift over the weekend, the tournament promises more hot scoring as competitors battle it out for the prestigious Jan Stephenson Trophy.

Co-sanctioned by the LET and WPGA, the Ford Women's NSW Open marks the final stop on the Australian swing before players head to South Africa. Live television coverage begins at 11am on Saturday and Sunday on Foxtel Ch 507 and Kayo.

The Ford Women's NSW Open is proudly supported by the NSW Government's tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.