BELMONT, Mich. — Unseasonably cold temperatures and windy conditions surprised players on Day 1 of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. Cloudy skies combined with winds between 15 and 17 mph made for a blustery start at Blythefield Country Club.
Yan Liu savored the challenge Mother Nature presented on Thursday, vaulting to the top of the leaderboard in the morning wave with a 6-under-par 66. Liu got off to a fast start with four birdies in a five-hole stretch on holes Nos. 4-8 offset by a single bogey to go out in 33. Liu says she used the wind to her advantage, which she said contributed to her highlight of the day which came at the par-3 15th, where she says the wind gave the ball a little nudge into the hole for her sixth birdie of the day.
“Actually, I prefer hot,” Liu said with a laugh about the weather conditions on Thursday. “I just very focus my process today. Because it’s very windy, a lot of things out of my control so I just do what I can control.”
Thursday’s round wasn’t the only low score of the season for Liu, who carded a final-round, 67 on Sunday at the Chevron Championship to tie for fourth, her lone top-10 of the season.
By early afternoon the clouds had parted and the sun peeked through, warming temperatures, but the wind never let up throughout the opening round. Cassie Porter and Jessica Porvasnik climbed within one of the lead with afternoon rounds of 67.
Porvasnik was riding high on a new set of irons that she put in her bag for the first time this week. Porvasnik says her husband insisted that this was time to she make a change, especially ahead of next week’s major championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA. Although she says she’s adverse to making changes, and that it takes her awhile to adjust to new equipment, her 5-under-par opening round has her feeling quite confident with her new gear.
“I think they just hopefully fit well,” Porvasnik said about her new irons. “That’s what a change should be, is it should be something that’s kind of you go out and play the shot and you’re like ‘ooh, this is it’.”
Porter pulled within one of the lead alongside Porvasnik with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 18th from long range. Porter got off to a strong start in her tournament debut in 2025 when she opened with a 68, but faded with over-par rounds on the weekend. The second-year member said that week was a learning experience, just as each week continues to be for her on the LPGA Tour.
“I think you definitely learn out here there are places you just can’t miss it,” Porter said about Blythefield. “Just being aware of that when you’re playing the course. Also it’s a course that you can be a little bit more aggressive in places, so just taking advantage of the opportunities is pretty important.”
During the morning wave, Celine Borge, Benedetta Moresco, Daniela Darquea, and Jing Yan jumped to the top of a jam-packed leaderboard with rounds of 68. In the afternoon they were joined by rookie Nastasia Nadaud, Minji Kang, Jennifer Kupcho and Youmin Hwang.
Julia Lopez Ramirez makes the first HOLE-IN-ONE of her LPGA Tour career 🎉🎯
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 18, 2026
📺 Golf Channel | @MeijerLPGA pic.twitter.com/IYHxvufBTr
Thursday morning, Julia Lopez Ramirez carded a hole-in-one at the 170-yard, par-3 13th with a 7-iron en route to posting a 1-under 71.
“It was blowing pretty hard down there. It was a left-to-right wind and we got a number that was basically my full 7-iron,” Lopez Ramirez said as she debated between hitting the 6 or 7. “Pitch like two meters short, like the perfect fade. Pitch two short, another bounce, and rolled in; throw the club up, hands in the air. I was like, no way.”
Defending champion Carlota Ciganda opened with an even-par 72, highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 18th.
