Alexander Leads Vistron Ladies Open with 64 in Taoyuan

South Africa's Cassandra Alexander took control of the Vistron Ladies Open on Thursday, shooting an eight-under-par 64 at Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei. She holds a two-shot advantage after the opening round.

Alexander did not drop a single shot in her round. She compiled six birdies and one eagle, starting with a three-under 33 on the front nine. She added further birdies at the 11th, 13th and 14th holes before closing with an eagle at the 18th.

Chinese Taipei's Cheng-Hsuan Shih is alone in second place after a bogey-free 66, which included six birdies.

A six-player group sits three shots back in joint third, all on five-under 67. Germany's Helen Briem, Austria's Emma Spitz, Hong Kong's Jenny Ding, Chinese Taipei's Pei-Ying Tsai, and England's Alice Hewson and Hannah Screen are in the mix.

Briem highlighted her round with an eagle at the par-five 13th and a birdie on the last. Spitz and Hewson both played bogey-free golf. Screen made four consecutive birdies from the 13th to the 16th. Tsai, a winner on the Taiwan LPGA Tour earlier this year at this same club, also finished without a bogey. Ding recorded six birdies and one bogey.

Ten players are tied for 10th place. That group includes defending champion Yani Tseng, a five-time major winner, along with Kelsey Bennett, Mimi Rhodes, Leonie Harm and Celine Herbin-Marshall.

India's Pranavi Urs shot 70 and is tied for 33rd. Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum shot 71 to sit at joint 46th, one stroke behind Pranavi.

The second round will start Friday at 6:20 a.m. local time. Only the leading 60 professionals, along with those tied with them, will continue to the next stage of the event.