American Ally Ewing leads an international leaderboard after day one of the AIG Women’s Open at a glorious Walton Heath.

The 30-year-old posted a four-under-par 68 in the late evening sun to move a shot clear of a pack of five players at the renowned Surrey venue.

“Obviously it’s exciting to get in with a good first round but it’s a long way to go until Sunday. It’s great to put a good first round together but in major championship golf you can never really lose focus. So I’ll get some food and get a good night’s sleep and come back and take on the next day. Getting around in four-under, regardless of the conditions, I’m very happy.”

Ewing, chasing her first major title, posted five birdies in an up-and-down round before highlighting her day with an eagle at the par-5 16^th. A three-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Ewing’s best finish in the AIG Women’s Open is a tie for 16^th in 2017 and she impressed in the idyllic conditions over the heathland to claim the early advantage among the 144-player field.

[parone_video_player hide-title=”true” hide-logo=”true” hide-description=”true” autoplay=”true” content-key=”9cb957b6″ defaultlang=”en” feed=”8-article-feed”/]

Amy Yang and Jeongeun Lee6, both from Korea, Thailand’s Jaravee Boonchant, Perrine Delacour from France and Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen all posted three-under-par rounds of 69.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez are among a large group at two-under-par, while Charley Hull leads English hopes after her opening 71 which also included an eagle at the 16^th.

The defending champion, Ashleigh Buhai from South Africa, signed for a two-over-par 74, the same mark as England’s Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier, as the French player chases a third straight win.

Another Englishwoman, Mel Reid, struck the opening tee shot at 6.30am and went on to post a level par round of 72.

The AIG Women’s Open is showcasing women in sport, business and entertainment with fans attending this year’s Championship enjoying world-class golf, live music entertainment and a new festival fan village designed to generate a fun, vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.

Tickets for the AIG Women’s Open are on sale via aigwomensopen.com