US Solheim Cup star Lexi Thompson completed the first round of her PGA Tour debut with a two-over par 73 at the Shriners Children’s Open.
The 28-year-old was one-over after 16 holes when darkness halted play in Las Vegas on Thursday evening.
She concluded her opening round with a bogey, par finish.
Thompson, who was one of 12 players to finish their first round before the second got under way on Friday, said: “Just a huge honour just to be able to tee it up here.
“I played decent. I had one bad hole and a few iffy shots. But it’s golf. It was kind of expected.”
Thompson, who is playing on a sponsor’s exemption, is one of the star names competing at an event aimed at players attempting to earn a place on the full PGA Tour for the 2024 season.
She was in a tie for 94th place heading to the second round as she aims to become only the second woman to make the weekend in a PGA Tour event, with the projected cut line at one under par.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was the first woman to do so, at the 1945 Phoenix Open. Shirley Spork played all 72 holes and had a 105th-place result at the 1952 Northern California-Reno Open, but that was an event without a mid-tournament cut.
American Michelle Wie West made eight PGA starts, missing the cut in all, most recently at the 2008 Reno-Tahoe Open.
Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam and American Suzy Whaley played PGA events in 2003, with both also missing the cut.
Beau Hossler, still searching for his first PGA Tour win in his 174th start, held a one-stroke lead after the completion of the first round.
The 28-year-old carded a superb nine-under 62 to be one shot clear of fellow Americans J.T. Poston and Cameron Champ.
