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 Lee, 19, a former world number one-ranked amateur who won in her
rookie LPGA season in 2015, mixed six birdies with two bogeys on the
Ko Olina course in Kapolei on the island of Oahu.
Jutanugarn, the 2013 LPGA Rookie of the Year, managed seven birdies,
along with a bogey and a double bogey, as the pair coped with
challenging morning winds that became even stronger during the
afternoon.
Michelle Wie had a morning she would rather forget in her hometown
event, struggling to an 80.
"I hit a lot of good shots. Just got a little bit unlucky, a couple
of unlucky bounces," the 2014 champion told reporters. "Hopefully
tomorrow will be a better day."
Wie, the 2014 U.S. Women's Open champion, is coming off an
injury-plagued season that left her languishing 49th on the money
list.
World number one Lydia Ko, fresh from a major victory at the ANA
Inspiration two weeks ago, fared somewhat better with a one-under 71
in the difficult afternoon conditions.
Ko made a nightmare start with a double bogey at the second hole,
where she yanked her drive out-of-bounds, but fought back to post a
decent score, finishing with a flourish with a birdie at the final
hole.
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Defending champion Kim Sei-young, who won a playoff in stunning
fashion last year by holing an eight-iron from 154 yards, started
strongly with a 69.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Frank
Pingue)
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