Hannah Green took a positive step forward in finding a remedy to a recent run of slow starts as fellow Aussie major winner Minjee Lee also made a solid opening to the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills.

Green and Grace Kim both shot even-par rounds of 72 to lead the way for the Aussies in Round 1, Lee just one stroke further back after missing a birdie chance from 14 feet at her final hole in a round of 1-over 73.

Americans Angel Yin and Yealimi Noh, Korean pair A Lim Kim and Jinhee Im, Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez and Japan’s Rio Takeda all shot 4-under 68 to share the Round 1 lead as the golf course and conditions offered up the best scoring opportunities expected for the week.

That is potentially good news for both Green and Lee, who have proven to have the discipline and toughness to excel in golf’s toughest examinations.

Green can be content having not taken two steps back to start this championship.

In the past two years of majors and the Paris Olympics, Green’s Round 1 scoring average was 74.36, a mark that she improved on markedly with a 73 to start last month’s Chevron Championship where she would miss the cut.

The 28-year-old began Round 1 from the 10th tee and made an early bogey with a three-putt at the par-4 11th.

The 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA champion got up-and-down from 36 yards short of the green at the par-5 14th to make birdie but turned in 1 over due to a bogey at the par-4 15th.

Green traded a birdie on one with a bogey at two, made a 25-foot putt for birdie on four but made double-bogey at the par-5 seventh on the back of her only missed fairway of Round 1.

The response, however, was swift, making birdies from 12 and 10 feet at eight and nine to drag herself back to within four of the lead.

A winner on the LPGA Tour in her rookie season in 2023, Kim was set to end Round 1 in red figures but made bogey on her final hole, the par-3 ninth.

The 24-year-old hit all 14 fairways at the expansive Erin Hills and took 30 putts in a round consisting of two birdies, two bogeys and 14 pars.

“Didn’t get anything going, but then again, I knew that pars were good out here,” said Kim post-round.

“It is a major, the rough is up, you just want to hit fairways and greens and try to make the most putts you can.

“Just tried really hard to stay patient out there.

“Mentally, I’m pretty fine right now. Just knowing that my game’s good enough to have good rounds and just push through the rounds.

“Just a lot of confidence building into tomorrow and hopefully make the most of the morning tee time.”

Five of the six Australians in the field are within six strokes of the lead after Round 1 with Gabi Ruffels level with Minjee Lee at 1-over and Stephanie Kyriacou 2-over after making bogey at the par-5 18th.

Australasian scores

T34 Hannah Green 72 T34 Grace Kim 72 T59 Minjee Lee 73 T59 Gabriela Ruffels 73 T59 Lydia Ko (NZ) 73 T78 Steph Kyriacou 74 T132 Jennifer Elliott 78