STA. ROSA, Laguna – Renuka Suksukont didn’t set too high a mark in her first foray on the local circuit. But a big start and a big mid-round rebound made the Thai ace the prime target in the ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters.

“My aim was to hit the fairways and the greens and it’s a good thing my game plan turned out well,” said Suksukont, who fired a three-under 69 to grab a one-stroke lead over Taiwanese Hanna Chen at the start of the $80,000 event at The Country Club here yesterday.

The 22-year-old shotmaker from Phatum Thani Province drained three straight birdies inside six feet from No. 2 to gain early control then bounced back from a bogey and a triple-bogey mishap in the next two holes with a birdie and an eagle on Nos. 7 and 8, respectively. The China LPGA Tour campaigner, who has posted two top three finishes this season, then gunned down two more birdies against a bogey at the back for a 34-35 card.

A slew of late starters from half of the 99-player field featuring seasoned campaigners from the China and Taiwan LPGA Tours took aim at matching or bettering Suksukont’s three-under card but all failed with Chen birdying Nos. 11 and 12 to trail by one at 70.

But Suksukont found the Tom Weiskoph-designed layout’s surface too sleek to handle in the next two holes, including the par-3 No. 6, which she missed and four-putted for a 6.

“I just couldn’t control my putt,” rued Suksukont, referring to her first, second and third strokes. But she struck back with a birdie on No. 7 then hacked a solid 6-iron second shot from 174 yards to within six feet for eagle on the eighth.

Earlier, Cyna Rodriguez and amateur Yuka Saso looked headed to dominating the first round action in the country’s biggest and richest LPGT event sponsored by ICTSI after the former knocked down three birdies in the first eight holes and the latter matching Renuka’s two-under 34 start.

But they stumbled at the tougher backside with Rodriguez, a former three-time LPGT Order of Merit winner, hobbling with a four-over card in the last four holes ruined by a double-bogey finish for a 73.

Saso, on the other hand, flubbed a couple of birdie putts and muffed a par-putt from six feet on No. 15, settling for a 71 for joint third with Taiwanese Wu Yi-ching and Lee Tai-ling, Thai P. Wirairungreung and fellow amateurs Hung Jo-hua of Taiwan and Hwang Min-jeong of Korea.

Despite a shaky finish, Saso said she was more than satisfied with her opening round game and expressed confidence of a big rebound in the last 36 holes of the three-day championship co-organized by the LPGT and the China and Taiwan LPGAs.

“I played relatively good. The fairways are long and the greens are tough to read. But I had no problem with my game.” said Saso.

Another amateur Du Mohan of China put herself in early contention with a 72, leading the even-par scorers, who included Thai Numa Gulyanamitta, Hsieh Yu-ling of Taiwan, Chinese Yan Liu and Korean Na Hee Won, who missed joining Chen at second with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16.

Chihiro Ikeda, a two-leg winner on the LPGT, recovered from a three-over card after seven holes with back-to-back birdies from No. 8 then atoned for a missed green bogey on the 16th with a rare birdie on the difficult par-4 closing holes to join Rodriguez, Korean Jang So-young, Thai Wanchana Poruangrong and Chinese Yimeng Zheng at 73.

Pauline del Rosario, the hottest local player with four victories in the last six LPGT legs, failed to get going with a poor start, driving out-of-bounds on No. 4 and finishing with four bogeys against two birdies for a 74.

She dropped to joint 20th, five strokes off Suksukont, in a tie with seven others, including Taiwanese Cheng Meng-chu and Ching Huang, Thais Pakpring Duangchan, Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang, Nanthikam Raksachat and former LPGT leg winner Wannasiri Sirisampant and former Girls’ Junior World champion Princess Superal, who stayed within striking distance of Rodriguez and Suksukont with a 35 start but stumbled with three bogeys at the back and dropped two strokes on the par-5 14th against two birdies.

Other backers of the event, serving as the 10th leg of the record 11-stage LPGT are Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.