The first round of the Japan Ladies Professional Championship, the second major domestic game of women's golf, was held in Ibaraki Prefecture, and 23-year-old Minami Katsu took the lead with a 6-under.
The winning player, who has won five domestic tours and is aiming for the first major victory, went around the first round with seven birdies and one bogey, two strokes behind second place.
Mayu Hamada and Erika Kikuchi are in second place with 4 unders.
Mone Inami, who won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, finished 11th with 2 unders.
Sakura Kogure, who ranked first in the prize money ranking, Yuri Yoshida, who aims to win the championship for two consecutive weeks, and Hinako Shibuno, who returned to the domestic tour for the first time in about a month and a half, are ranked 42nd in Even Par.