Yan Liu of China sank seven birdies on her way to a 6-under-par 66 and earned the first-round lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic on Thursday in Belmont, Mich.
Liu leads by one stroke over Jessica Porvasnik and Australia’s Cassie Porter. All three women are searching for their first wins on the LPGA Tour.
Liu had a front-nine burst with four birdies and a bogey across a five-hole stretch (Nos. 4-8) at Blythefield Country Club. She added birdies at Nos. 14, 15 and 18 and finished the day at 14 of 18 greens in regulation while never landing in the sand.
“I just very focus (on) my process today,” Liu said. “Because it’s very windy, a lot of thing out of my control so I just do what I can control.”
Liu, 28, tied for fourth at the first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, but that was her best finish of the year.
Porvasnik, meanwhile, is a mere No. 284 in the world rankings and had made just seven starts in her second year on tour.
She put herself in contention with six birdies and a single bogey while finding 15 of 18 greens in regulation. Porvasnik, 30, said she swapped in a new set of irons before playing this week.
“Kind of really helped. I was a little skeptical going in, but, yeah, after day like today I was like oooh, this might pretty good,” she said.
At just 23, Porter is a promising prospect who made the LPGA Tour last year and already has four career top-10s to her name. She played the back nine first on Thursday and rolled in birdies at Nos. 12, 14 and 15 before her lone bogey came at No. 16.
She rebounded with birdies at both the 18th and first holes and added one more on her way in. Porter also found 15 of 18 greens in regulation.
Porter’s only win on the developmental Epson Tour happened to come in the state of Michigan in 2024.
“To be honest I just love it here,” Porter said. “I mean, I had an awesome pro-am group (Wednesday) and I have some great host families, so I’ve spent a lot time here even in off weeks, which is awesome. Big fan of the lake life too, and the river life.”
Jennifer Kupcho birdied her final hole to make it an eight-way tie two behind at 4-under 68. A massive group at 3-under 69 included South Koreans In Gee Chun and Jin Young Ko and rising star Lottie Woad of England.
Defending champion Carlota Ciganda of Spain shot an even-par 72. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand opened with a 2-over 74.
–Field Level Media
