Stephanie Meadow makes difficult start in Hawaii

Stephanie Meadow endured a tough start at the LOTTE Championship as she opened with a first-round 75 in windy conditions in Hawaii.

The County Antrim golfer had impressed at the tournament last year, but she is already nine shots off joint leaders – Sweden's Frida Kinhult and Thailand's Natthakritta Vongtaveelap – who sit on six-under-par.

Much of the damage for Meadow occurred at the par-four eighth hole where she carded a triple bogey with a double bogey on the 17th also proving disruptive.

There were no such problems for Vongtaveelap as she highlighted her bogey-free round with an eagle.

Vongtaveelap and Kinhult both shot rounds of 66 at Hoakalei Country Club.

American Bailey Tardy, Japan's Nasa Hataoka, South Korea's Yu Jin Sung and defending champion Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea are tied for third at four under.

Vongtaveelap started with two birdies on the back nine, then added another at No. 3 before she eagled the par five fifth hole. She closed her round with a birdie at the ninth hole.

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Vongtaveelap, 20, turned pro in November, then won two Thai LPGA Tour events earlier this year. This week marks her second LPGA start, after she finished in second place behind Lilia Vu at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February.

Kinhult rolled in seven birdies before making her only bogey of the day on her final hole, the ninth.

"It was very solid," Kinhult said of her round. "Nothing crazy really happened. Yeah, just throughout the day tried to hit some fairways, and then I think I hit most greens, which is helpful in this wind.

"So, yeah, just tried to stay patient out there shot by shot for real in this wind. A lot of the math in my head, so probably going to fall asleep pretty good tonight. Yeah, super happy with the start