OTTAWA, Ont. – Although the CP Women’s Open is not a major on the LPGA Tour schedule, there was a major-like set up Thursday at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.

Marina Alex went out early Thursday and posted a 5-under-par 66, and that score held up for the balance of the afternoon. She recorded six birdies against a lone bogey, even though she admitted the greens at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club were ‘almost just as fast as what we played at the U.S. Open.’

“They were rolling unbelievably well. Really quick,” she said. “The nice thing is they're still a bit soft, so the shots are holding into the greens, so it kind of makes for a good combo. You can hit shots in there pretty tight, and then you have really nice pace to hold them.”

Alex has notched four top-10s this season, but her best result of the year, a tie for seventh, happened in February at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. She credited her putting as the key to her success Thursday.

“I putted unbelievably well today. I rolled it so good. So I hope I can just carry that into the next couple days and just tidy up the ball-striking a little bit,” she explained.

Chasing her is In Gee Chun and Holly Clyburn at 4-under.

Chun, who lost in a playoff at the Manulife LPGA Classic, said she loves playing in front of Canadian fans, and that confidence showed Thursday. She said, like Alex, that her putting was the key to her bogey-free round.

“The greens are really quick but also the greens are very consistent here, so I really like the fast greens,” she explained. “I really enjoy playing here.”

Clyburn made eagle on the par-5, ninth, her final hole of the day, to jump to 4-under and just one shot back of the lead.

“I've just been waiting for something to drop like that all day, actually. I played solid all day, and that was just a nice present on the last, really,” she said. “Just missed a few birdie putts out there, and hit a nice 5-wood in there and holed that putt.”

Despite the fact that Clyburn has missed her last three cuts in a row, she came into the week with positive vibes, as her first impression of the course was a good one.

“I really like it. From day one when I stepped on here on Monday, I really liked it. I thought I'd probably do quite nicely out there,” she stated. “I'd fade the ball, and some of the tee shots you do have to have a bit of imagination. But other than that, just it really does suit my eye and I just enjoy it.”

Six golfers finished a shot further back at 3-under, including Shanshan Feng, Sei Young Kim, Pavarisa Yoktuan, Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, Brittany Lincicome, and Angel Yin – the later two members of the victorious American Solheim Cup team.

“I felt like I played really well last week, especially my (putting). I felt like I putted the best I’ve putted in a while,” said Lincicome. “It's nice to have this big event this week, and nice to play good the first day. My dad always says you can't win it after the first round, but you can shoot your way out of it. So it was nice to shoot a little bit under par, and hopefully it will keep moving through the weekend.”

Yin, meanwhile, said she would be taking a ton of experience from last week into the balance of the rest of her rookie campaign on the LPGA Tour.

“I had a blast. It was the best experience I've ever had playing golf,” she said of her Solheim Cup debut. “And now I think I'm better with huge crowd. Honestly, I feel more comfortable. It was amazing.”

13 golfers sit at 2-under including world No.1 So Yeon Ryu, who won this event in 2014, and Rachel Rohanna, who was first alternate this week up until Inbee Park withdrew Thursday morning due to a back injury.

Brittany Marchand, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, and Augusta James are tied for low Canadian at 2-over par.

Brooke Henderson, a member at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club and from less than an hour away from Canada’s capital, fired a 3-over-par 74, and sits tied for 106th.

She said the greens were the fastest she had ever seen them, and she continually left herself with downhill putts, which restricted her ability to score.

“I felt like most of the time I was putting down the hill, so I was trying to just really focus on pace, and then it's really difficult to get the line,” she explained. “Tomorrow hopefully I'll give myself a little bit more uphill chances at it and see if I can be a little bit more aggressive.”

Click here for complete scores from the opening round of the Canadian Pacific Women's Open.

Alex Opens With 66 to Lead On Day One of CP Women's Open

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