England's Mimi Rhodes has put herself in a strong position at the Chevron Championship, with American Nelly Korda taking the lead in the first women's major of the year. Korda carded a flawless seven-under-par 65, her best start to a major in four years, to take a two-stroke lead over Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit and Korea's Somi Lee in Houston. Rhodes, making her tournament debut, shot a 69 to join a 10-way tie for eighth place, while her compatriot Charley Hull struggled with a level-par 72.
Korda's impressive round included seven birdies, with Tavatanakit and Lee also performing well, the former carding five birdies in a bogey-free round and the latter shooting six birdies before dropping a shot on her final hole. Rhodes, who finished sixth at the HSBC Women's World Championship, said she felt more comfortable after taking time to familiarize herself with the course, and is now focusing on playing relaxed golf and not putting too much pressure on herself. The tournament continues on Friday, with live coverage on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event from 4pm.