Xiyu Lin is making her ninth Dana Open start this week in Sylvania, Ohio, and is already looking strong at a place at which she has had success before.

Lin shot out of the gate on Thursday at Highland Meadows Golf Club, carding a 6-under 65 to sit in a tie for second alongside Aditi Ashok, one shot back of 18-hole leader Hye-Jin Choi.

Starting her day on the par-4 10th hole, the 28-year-old went bogey-birdie to kick off her first round, parring her next three holes before holing it from the sand for a birdie on the par-4 15th hole. Lin then picked up a pair of back-to-back birdies on the par-5 17th and par-5 18th holes to turn in 34 at 3-under overall.

The People’s Republic of China native then dropped a shot on the first hole, quickly recovering with another chip-in birdie on No. 2. She landed another one-two punch of birdies on the par-4 4th and 5th holes, making one final birdie on the par-3 8th hole to close out her first-round 65.

“I think today I played solid,” Lin said. “I took the last two weeks off trying to sharpen my game a little bit. I think today I was a little tight at the beginning, but I had some amazing shots. I holed out in the bunker twice. Almost like two impossible shots to hole out. That's a bit of luck.

“Besides that, I think the back nine, I play really good definitely after the second hole out and all the rest of the birdie that I play really comfortable, and it really start to get to where I want it to be. I'm really happy seeing actually the back nine, and then it gives me lots of confidence.”

Lin has had plenty of success at the Dana Open in her eighth previous starts in this tournament. She has recorded five straight top-25 finishes in her last five times competing at Highland Meadows Golf Club, earning back-to-back top 10s in 2022 (T7) and 2023 (T4), but today’s 65 is her first round of 65 or better at this venue.

She is making her 15th start of the 2024 LPGA Tour season and has earned five top-15 results so far this year, with a season-best tie for fourth coming in May at the Cognizant Founders Cup. Joining the LPGA Tour in 2014, Lin has yet to collect her first LPGA Tour title, coming incredibly close on many occasions throughout her tenure on Tour.

And while no golf tournament is ever won on Thursday, the veteran will surely be carrying plenty of confidence from her season-low round on the LPGA Tour forward as she looks to once again attack Highland Meadows Golf Club over the next 54 holes at the Dana Open.

“I really enjoy playing on this course,” Lin said. “I'm kind of familiar with each of the holes, so I think the strategy was pretty straightforward, and I definitely attacked at the right time. And then the iron at the back nine, I've been hitting them really close, so leave myself some very comfortable short birdie putts.”

Xiyu Lin Starts Strong, Shoots 65 at Dana Open

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