Leona Maguire began her quest for a first Women's Irish Open trophy in steady fashion on Thursday at the K Club in County Kildare.
The 31-year-old from Derry finished her opening round with a one-under par score of 71, recording three birdies and two bogeys.
Her performance placed her four shots behind Alessandra Fanali of Italy, who leads the field by one shot after posting a superb 67.
Fanali, ranked world number 253, secured seven birdies and two bogeys during her round.
She sits ahead of England's Annabell Fuller, who mixed six birdies with two bogeys to finish at 68.
Maguire also matched the score of Northern Ireland's Annabel Wilson, while Anna Foster from Derry finished a shot further back.
Foster had previously tied for second place at the Swiss Open earlier this month.
The Derry golfer birdied two of the four par-fives and captured a birdie on the par-three 11th hole.
Dropped shots affected her play at the sixth and 16th holes, yet she managed to pick up a shot on the second fairway.
Despite missing 11 of 19 cuts this season, Maguire remains the highest-ranked player among the record 16-strong Irish contingent competing in Kildare.
She joins Anna Nordqvist's Solheim Cup wildcard picks as she continues her campaign for a major title.