Rio Takeda, Yoon Ina and Chella Choi shared the first-round lead in the LPGA Queen City Championship on Thursday with top-ranked Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul three adrift at "quirky" Maketewah Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio.
South Korea's Yoon posted an eagle and five birdies in her four-under effort.
She was joined on 66 by compatriot Choi – who was six-under with six birdies through 16 holes but closed with back-to-back bogeys – and Japan's Takeda, who had five birdies and a bogey for her slice of the lead.
The trio was one stroke in front of 15-time LPGA winner Ko Jin-young of South Korea and Americans Lilia Vu and Amanda Doherty, with defending champion Charley Hull of England and New Zealand's Lydia Ko a further stroke back on 68.
Hull lifted the trophy last September, when the tournament was played at TPC River's Bend.
The world No 6 said the par-70 Maketewah layout offered a unique challenge, especially in the day's chilly, windy conditions.
"I do think it's quite a scorable golf course," said Hull, whose round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-five seventh. "There's a few little quirky holes out there that make it tricky, but I do think it is still quite scorable."
World No 1 Korda and second-ranked Jeeno, the marquee names in an event featuring seven of the world's top 10, both settled for one-under par 69s.
Korda, who claimed her third title of the year at the Riviera Maya Open two weeks ago and hasn't finished worse than second in six starts this year, opened with eight straight pars, eventually finding two birdies and a bogey.
Jeeno, coming off her second title of 2026 at the Mizuho Americas Open on Sunday, had a wild ride with seven birdies – including five in a row from the seventh through the 11th – and six bogeys.