ERIN, Wis. >> Jinhee Im, A Lim Kim, Yealimi Noh and Rio Takeda each carded 4-under 68 to tie for the lead after the morning groupings Thursday in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills.

Those scores are notable because only two players finished under par in last year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, with Yuka Saso posting a winning four-round total of 4-under 276. Saso, who is seeking her third U.S. Women’s Open title, posted a 74 on Thursday.

Noh said the low scores at the 6,829-yard, par-72 course didn’t surprise her. Erin Hills’ difficulty often is based on the strength of the wind, and it was relatively calm early Thursday.

“There are some tees out that are pulled up, and a lot of the par-5s, I think all of them are reachable,” Noh said. “Some par-3s were shorter than normal. So, I think for sure, with the minimal wind today, it was definitely a good scoring day.”

Kim, 29, is seeking her second U.S. Women’s Open title after winning this event in 2020 at Champions Golf Club in Houston. She’s the only golfer among the four leaders who already has won a U.S. Women’s Open.

Takeda started at No. 10 and made six birdies in a nine-hole stretch from No. 14 through No. 4 to make up for her bogeys at No. 17 and No. 2. Noh benefited from an eagle at No. 14, a par-5, 510-yard hole. Im had a bogey-free round that included four birdies in a span of five holes from No. 10 through No. 14. Kim made birdie putts of 42½ feet on No. 1 and 32½ feet on No. 3.

“That course condition is really good,” Im said. “I think green speed is really, really fast, but not firm. So if I can hit the fairway, I can (get) the birdie chance.”

Chisato Iwai was fifth with a 69. Hinako Shibuno, Maja Stark and Pajaree Anannarukarn each posted a 70.

“It was nice that today’s wind is not as bad as the practice rounds,” Shibuno said. “Also, that yesterday’s rain was helpful. I think when it went on the green that the ball should stop, it stopped. So that was good.”

Jeeno Thitikul, the world’s second-ranked player, carded a 75. She started at No. 10 and bogeyed four of her first six holes, including three straight from No. 11 through No. 13. She bounced back by making three consecutive birdies on No. 18, No. 1 and No. 2, then bogeyed No. 4 and No. 9. Lydia Ko, who is ranked third in the world, posted a 73 that included a double bogey on the par-5 No. 1.

This year’s U.S. Women’s Open comes during a season notable for its balance — there has been a different winner at each of the LPGA Tour’s 12 events. As the most lucrative tournament of the season, the U.S. Women’s Open features a $12 million purse, with $2.4 million going to the winner.

The list of players ranked in the top 10 teeing off Thursday afternoon included Nelly Korda (first), Ruoning Yin (fourth), Hyo Joo Kim (seventh) and Jin Young Ko (10th).

Griffin still on a heater after his win on punishing course at Memorial

Ben Griffin resumed the great play that brought him his first individual PGA Tour victory last week, hitting two shots in the water and still posting a 7-under 65 on Thursday in the Memorial on a course with rough as dense as a U.S. Open.

Griffin isn’t taking victory laps after winning at Colonial. He just kept making birdies, along with an eagle on the par- 5 seventh hole with a 3-wood into 12 feet. He led by two shots over Collin Morikawa, with Max Homa another stroke behind.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler wasn’t at his best and still managed a 70, his 19th consecutive tournament in which he opened with a round par.

Griffin was playing so well that his two water balls — on the par-5 11th and par-3 12th — only led to bogeys when such mistakes punished so many other players.

“Yeah, a couple water balls — really need to go to the range and work on my game to clean that stuff up,” Griffin said with a laugh.

He knew this was a good one. Muirfield Village was soft enough from rain the past two days that good scores were available provided shots came from the fairway, and not from rough that Justin Thomas had said was comparable to what they will face at Oakmont in the U.S. Open.

“Basically a U.S. Open we’re playing,” Keegan Bradley said. “I’m going to be playing back-to-back U.S. Opens here. But the course is very fair, setup nice. Just a tough test.”