English golfer Liz Young guided her side to a flawless 16-under to sit atop the leader board after the first round of the Aramco Team Series event in Singapore on Thursday.
Young, Gabriella Cowley, Anne-Charlotte Mora and amateur Elaine Widjaja made a blistering start and reached the turn at 10-under.
A strong second nine gave them a one-shot lead over three teams in a share for second place with Team Wolf, Team Hedwall and Team Broch Estrup all on 15-under.
South Africa’s Nicole Garcia carded a five-under 67 at Laguna National Golf Resort Club to grab the lead in the individual competition, while her team ended the day in a tie for seventh on 13-under.
Five players sit just one shot back from her in a tie for second, including Eleanor Givens, Klara Davidson Spilkova, Pauline Roussin and Swedish star Linn Grant.
“As a team we did well on the par-5s,” Young said. “I made a couple of birdies but thanks to Gabs’ [Gabriella Cowley] eagle and our amateur’s eagle that definitely helped. Overall, it’s a really good result.
“I asked Elaine for a putting lesson halfway around because she could read those putts. She is from Indonesia, so I guess she’s used to the grainy greens. She played fantastically and helped the team a lot.”
Hong Kong amateur Virginie Ding Wai-chung, meanwhile, is a member of Ana Palaez Trivino’s group this week. Ding, who plays college golf in the US, said the tournament had been “a great experience”.
The 21-year-old plans to turn professional and said she would make the most of being around the world’s best.
“I’m going to try and go out there tomorrow and really soak in the whole experience,” Ding said.
“I’ll be asking them a bunch of questions about pro life and how they go through their routine, and just be really mindful of the little things that they do.”
This week in Singapore marks the first of five ATS events this season, with further stops in West Palm Beach, London and Hong Kong, before the season finale in Riyadh.
Hong Kong will stage the penultimate tournament from October 13 to 15, and Ding said it would be a “great opportunity” to inspire the next generation of young golfers in the city.