England's Mimi Rhodes has positioned herself as a strong contender at the Chevron Championship, with Nelly Korda seizing control of the tournament. Korda, ranked second in the world, achieved a bogey-free 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. American amateur Farah O'Keefe is part of a four-way tie for fourth place after carding a 68, while Rhodes, an LPGA rookie, shot a 69 to join a 10-way tie for eighth. Rhodes expressed her confidence, stating, 'I felt ready' and 'more comfortable getting my bearings around' after taking lessons from her performance at the HSBC Women's World Championship.
Meanwhile, Charley Hull, Rhodes' compatriot and world No 4, began her bid for a first major title with a level-par 72, sitting five shots back in a tie for 26th. The tournament is heating up, with Tavatanakit and Lee closely trailing Korda, and Rhodes looking to build on her strong start.