BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) The sun shone brightly at rain-soaked Shoal Creek. So did Ariya Jutanugarn, Sarah Jane Smith and Jeongeun6 Lee.

Jutanugarn, Smith and Lee each shot a 5-under 67 Thursday to share the first-round lead at the U.S. Women’s Open, where the course held up better than some feared after heavy rains in recent days.

Thailand’s Jutanugarn spent hours in front before Smith and Lee caught her in the evening.

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Jutanugarn is coming off a Kingsmill Championship win and kept up the momentum, including an eagle on No. 6. She said she started focusing more on each shot instead of worrying about the big picture.

”At Kingsmill, I started (saying) I’m not going to think about the outcome,” the eight-time LPGA Tour winner said. ”I’m not going to think about winning the tournament.”

Jutanugarn and the Australian Smith each had an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys. The Korean Lee, meanwhile, had five birdies on a course that has been drenched in recent w..

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) Beau Hossler is looking for a strong finish after another fast start.

The 23-year-old Hossler logged four birdies on the front nine, then recovered from a bogey on the par-3 16th to birdie the 17th and get back to 6-under 66. Hossler is one shot off the lead after the opening round of the Memorial on Thursday.

”Greens were phenomenal,” Hossler said. ”If you get your ball below the hole you can definitely make some putts, and fortunately today I did.”

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Hossler has three top-10 finishes this season, his first on the PGA Tour. He flirted with his first tour win a month ago at the Houston Open, but lost a sudden-death playoff to Ian Poulter on April 1 after he triple-bogeyed the first playoff hole.

Hossler avoided such monumental mistakes on Thursday in his first trip to Muirfield Village.

The bigger challenge lies ahead for Hossler, who hasn’t managed to finish strong since Houston. He shot a 64 in the opening round of the Colonial last w..

Ariya Jutanugard had a strong first day at the US Women's Open.

Juli Inkster and Brad Faxon join Shane Bacon to break down the action from Day 1 of the US Women's Open.

Sarah Jane Smith joins Holly Sonders to break down her performance on Day 1, which left her tied for first place at 5 strokes under par.

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) Hideki Matsuyama and Tiger Woods hit their stride at the end of their rounds at the Memorial, and it paid off in different ways.

Matsuyama was in the middle of the pack at Muirfield Village when he ran off four straight birdies and then holed out with a wedge from 130 yards on the 17th hole for an eagle that sent him to a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with 19-year-old Joaquin Niemann of Chile and Abraham Ancer of Mexico.

”As the round went along, I played better and better,” said Matsuyama, who got his first PGA Tour win at the Memorial four years ago.

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So did Woods, which helped him avoid another big number on a course where he has won five times. Woods three-putted from 25 feet to fall to 3 over with five holes to play. He answered with three straight birdies – two of them on par 5s on the front nine – and got up-and-down from 62 yards on the ninth hole for a 72.

”It was nice to somehow grind out the round, turn it around and fin..

Ariya Jutanugarn sits down with Holly Sonders after shooting 5 under par to take an early lead in the US Women's Open.

Michelle Wie talks with Holly Saunders about course conditions and her expectations after Day 1 of the US Open.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Michelle Wie was pleasantly surprised by the condition of Shoal Creek and her game after the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open.

The 2014 champion shot a 3-under 69 Thursday on a course that’s been drenched in recent days and weeks, forcing the cancellation of Tuesday’s practice round and limiting course time on the eve of the tournament.

Wie got off to a strong start with birdies on the second and third holes and had only one bogey.

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“It’s mind-blowing how great the golf course is,” Wie said. ”The greens staff, they’ve been working day and night trying to get this golf course ready and have done an amazing job.

”I thought there was no chance we could play a practice round (Wednesday). I was out there and the greens were actually great, today even better. Hopefully, you know, there will be no storms and just get better and better from here.”

She had withdrawn from last year’s U.S. Women’s Open with a neck injury and failed to mak..

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) One shot on the wrong side of the creek. One shot in the water. Another one in someone’s backyard.

Tiger Woods was headed for another bad memory at the Memorial.

One shot changed everything.

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Woods recovered from a rugged start Thursday by running off three straight birdies late in the opening round to salvage an even-par 72 at Muirfield Village.

”I fought back and I didn’t really have much starting out,” Woods said. ”Didn’t really feel my swing very well, and consequently I hit it both ways – mainly left. I wasn’t rotating very well. Made a few tweaks, a few changes, made a couple of birdies, made a couple of putts, and lo and behold, I finished at even par. I know it’s a long way back, but at least I’ve got a fighting chance.”

Woods is a five-time winner at the Memorial. The last time he was at Muirfield Village was three years ago, when he shot a career-high 85 in the third round and had to play as a single Sunday morning.

What tur..