THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Epson Tour graduate Yan Liu and two-time LPGA Tour winner Haeran Ryu were tied at the top after Thursday morning play concluded at The Chevron Championship. Both athletes carded 7-under 65s to kick off their weeks in The Woodlands, Texas, and were sitting three shots ahead of four players who were tied for third at 4-under.

Liu went bogey-free on day one at The Club at Carlton Woods, picking up a pair of birdies in her first three holes on the par-4 10th and par-3 12th holes to climb to 2-under quickly. She then stalled a bit, parring her next six holes in a row to turn in 34, but Liu finally broke through again on her closing nine, grabbing a birdie on the par-4 1st hole to move to 3-under.

She then rattled off three consecutive birdies on the third, fourth and fifth holes to get to 6-under on the day before landing one last birdie on the par-4 9th hole to finish with a 65 and tie her second-lowest career round on the LPGA Tour. She just recently posted her career-best score of 63 last week at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, a first-round effort that gave Liu her first lead of any kind on the LPGA Tour after 18 holes at El Caballero Country Club.

“Today my driver is pretty good, pretty solid,” said Liu. “Last week, I do pretty good, too, but not the driver. This week, I fixed my driver so, it's feel very solid golf today. On the course, I'm pretty confident today. I just feel the weather is so good and temperature is perfect for me.”

Ryu also went bogey-free and carded seven total birdies on Thursday, two sets of which came back-to-back on holes two, three, seven and eight. The 2023 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year additionally made birdies on the par-4 10th, par-5 13th and par-5 18th holes at The Club at Carlton Woods to post her lowest score on Tour since she shot 64 on day three of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican last November.

This is Ryu’s third time competing in The Chevron Championship, and after tying for 56th in her tournament debut, the Republic of Korea native finished solo fifth last year in The Woodlands, Texas, a performance she is well on her way to improving upon in 2025 after taking a share of the early lead in the Lone Star State.

“Last year, I had great memory for this golf course, so I just want to do more easier and more calm and more comfortable for my golf,” Ryu said. “Today, my putter is pretty good, and I just want to try to and trust in my golf. That was amazing today because I change the putter last (week’s) second round and more comfortable for my putting this week. It was amazing.”

Four players were T3 after posting first-round 68s, including LPGA Tour winners Carlota Ciganda and Ariya Jutanugarn, the latter of whom is a two-time major champion. They were joined by Belgium’s Manon De Roey and Epson Tour graduate Brooke Matthews.

Former U.S. Solheim Cup Team members Andrea Lee and Angel Yin were in a share of seventh at 3-under overall, and three athletes were tied for ninth at 2-under after morning play, most notably last year’s low amateur at The Chevron Championship, Jasmine Koo.

Current Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda opened her title defense with a 5-over 77 on day one in The Woodlands, Texas.

Yan Liu, Haeran Ryu Tied at the Top After Thursday Morning Play at The Chevron Championship

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