Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa closed with four birdies over her final eight holes and took the outright lead of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship with a 5-under 66 on Thursday at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.
Canada's Brooke Henderson, as well Xiyu Lin and Ruoning Yin of China, were in a three-way tie for second place at 4-under in the second women's major of 2023.
Pace, 42, was at 1-under at the turn then began her string of birdies at the par-4 11th hole, matching it at the par-3 12th. In a four-way tie for the lead heading into her final hole of the first round, Pace then birdied the par-5 18th.
Pace's best finish in a major was a tie for sixth at the 2015 Evian Championship.
Henderson, who won the 2016 Women's PGA Championship, started on the back nine with two birdies and a bogey before she closed strong with birdies at the first, sixth and her final hole of the day, the par-3 ninth.
Henderson is vying for her third career major after winning last year's Evian Championship.
Lin had a pair of birdies on each side and no bogeys during her opening round. She had a birdie on the par-4 13th hole and the par-5 17th hole to finish off her 67. Lin's best finish in a major was a tie for seventh in the 2021 U.S. Women's Open.
Yin, who has never finished higher than 41st in a major, started on the back nine and reached the midway point of her round with a birdie at No. 17 and an eagle 3 at the par-5 18th hole.
Wichanee Meechai of Thailand was alone in fifth place at 3-under 68. Meechai has yet to record a top-10 finish in a major.
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