Izzy BeisiegelJames Clarke
Isabelle Beisiegel opened with an even par round of 72 on the first day of the LPGA's final qualifying tournament.
Back-to-back birdies to start the back nine of the Champions Course helped Beisiegel of St. Hilaire, Que., recover from a pair of bogeys to leave her tied for 13th after the first of five rounds.
Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., all opened with 1-over 73 to leave them tied for 37th.
Sherlock, who is back at Q-school after earning her playing card last year, finished with birdies on two of her final three holes to mitigate the damage done by five bogeys over a 10 hole span. Lee-Bentham, who came into the tournament fresh off her first professional victory at a Florida mini-tour event, finished with a bogey-double bogey on two of her final three holes. Kim had two bogeys and a birdie while playing her opening round on the Legends Course at LPGA International in Florida.
The top 40 and ties will receive membership on the LPGA Tour in 2012.
Christine Song, who missed the cut in seven of 10 starts on the LPGA Tour in 2011, leads after the opening day with a round of 66. That is one better than Stephanie Kono, a senior at UCLA.
Lisa Meldrum of Montreal and Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John, B.C., are tied for 58th after shooting 2-over 74. Dreher bogeyed her final two holes.
Maude Aimee-Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., who made her LPGA professional debut at the CN Canadian Women's Open this summer, is tied for 74th after going birdie-double bogey over her final two holes to post a 75.
Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., bogeyed her final hole to slip into a tie for 88th at 4-over par.
Adrienne White of Red Deer, Alta., struggled with seven bogeys including three straight to close out the round for a 77 and a tie for 104th. Edmonton's Susan Nam also carded a 77 but finished with back-to-back birdies.
Ashley Sholer of Hamilton, Ont., is tied for 116th after a round of 78.
Angela Buzminski of Oshawa, Ont., who hasn't made an LPGA start since 2009, pulled out of the event prior to her opening tee time on Wednesday suffering from the flu.