Stephanie Meadow makes strong start to Queen City Championship

Stephanie Meadow is just three shots off the lead after the opening round at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.

The Antrim native carded a bogey-free 68 that puts her four under in an early tie for 12th.

Starting on the back nine, Meadow gained momentum with three birdies in a row on the 14th, 15th and 16th before adding another on the first.

China's Ruixin Liu leads the way after she shot a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to hold a one-stroke advantage.

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Liu had withdrawn because of severe allergies after a first-round 72 last week of the LPGA Tour's Portland Classic. She said Thursday she was feeling somewhat better at Kenwood Country Club's Kendale Course.

"I'm still a little not clear today," Liu said. "I don't know how I did this good, but it (happened) and I'm very happy to take it."

Liu carded birdies at two, three, six, seven, nine, 11 and 13. She credited her putter "just rolling great" until difficulty at the par-5 No. 12, where she settled for par.

"That's the only bad hole I played today because my second shot was only like 18 feet to the hole for eagle and I three-putt that one," Liu said. "So that's the only not-so-good hole today."

Four players are tied for second place at six-under 66: Taiwain's Peiyun Chien, Elizabeth Szokol, Dottie Ardina of the Philippines and Sweden's Linnea Strom. Szokol was bogey free, while the other three each had one bogey blemishing their scorecards.

"I'm hitting it a lot better off the tee, which is great," Szokol said. "I hit a lot of fairways today. I think I only missed one fairway, so just giving myself a lot of opportunities for good wedge shots in and iron shots in, and that's helped a lot."

Six players are in a pack at five-under 67, including Emily