Yuka Saso carded 4-under 67 for a share of third spot in the opening round of the LPGA Tour Cognizant Founders Cup at the Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey.
Saso highlighted her bogey-free round with four birdies including the par 5 18th to share identical scores with Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Nelly Korda of the United States, Canadian Brooke Henderson, France’s Perrine Delacour, South Koreans Amy Yang and So Yeon Ryu.
The US Women’s Open champion and company are four shots behind South Korean Jin Young Ko, who shot an 8-under 63 behind nine birdies against a single bogey.
Ko is ahead by three strokes over German Sandra Gal, who also had a bogey-free day with five birdies.
Saso started off on the right note with a birdie on the par-4 first hole and added another on the par-3 seventh. The third came on the par-4 10th before wrapping it up with her final birdie on the 18th.
The Tokyo Olympian is aiming to rebound from a 19th place finish in last week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic also held in New Jersey.
Fellow Filipina Dottie Ardina registered an even-par 71 for a share of 56th place with 21 others.
Ardina had an eagle on No. 3 and a birdie on No. 13 but bogeyed on holes No. 9, 13, and 18.