Japanese Tour player Shina Kanazawa showed that she would not play second fiddle to anyone in the Vic Open today, although a bunch of Australians are hot on her heels.

Kanazawa, who has travelled to Australia as part of a camp run by former world No. 1 Jiyai Shin, outshone even her venerated tour host in shooting a 7-under par 66 on the Creek Course at 13th Beach today.

Most people would’ve expected Shin, the winner of this event in 2023, to be dominant this week, but instead it was her understudy who grabbed the limelight.

The 29-year-old leads by a shot from another Japanese visitor, Madoka Kimura at 6-under.

New South Wales pro Kelsey Bennett and Queenslander Robyn Choi, are next at 5-under, also on the Creek course, which was the easier of the two venues in round one.

Gun amateurs Jazy Roberts, Amelia Harris, Sarah Hammett and Molly McLean are at tied-fourth at 4-under in the next group, along with last year’s winner, Malaysian professional Ashley Lau. Shin, the tournament favourite, opened with a lack-lustre even-par 73.

Kanazawa had eight birdies and a single bogey, making use of the knowledge passed on by the remarkable Shin, winner of 65 tournaments worldwide including two Australian Opens.

“She teaches me a lot, technique and mentality,” said Kanazawa, who is on her fifth trip to Australia and who has played nine seasons on the JLPGA Tour, where Shin also competes.

In nice scoring conditions with just a zephyr of a breeze, 13th Beach was as scoreable as it can ever have been in a Vic Open. 

Choi, who is based is Las Vegas when she is not at home on the Gold Coast, said it came unexpectedly after a stiff breeze blew in Wednesday’s pro-am. “Yesterday I was hitting my 5-hybrid 130 (metres); today I was hitting 9-iron 130. It’s totally dependent on the wind,” she said.

Choi has lost her full playing rights on the LPGA Tour but retains some conditional status and also will play on the secondary Epson Tour in 2025. She has all her belongings with her at Barwon Heads and heads to the US on Monday morning.

The 26-year-old renowned for short-game prowess has been working hard in the gym trying to find extra length off the tee as she tries to get herself back on the LPGA Tour. She spent 2024 on the main tour but will head back to the Epson Tour this year.

“I think distance is pretty big out there on the LPGA,” she said. “All the girls are hitting it long. Having a good short game doesn’t really compete with them.”

Molymook’s Bennett has her playing card for the Ladies European Tour in 2025, and heads overseas in March after the Women’s NSW Open.

“The goal today was to get a decent number in and I had the perfect morning for it,” she said.

Bennett said her first goal on the LET would be to find the top 70 in the Order of Merit that would retain her card; beyond that, a win is on the radar for a player who is emerging quickly.

“I’m smarter around the golf course. It’s tricky. I’m still learning every day, but it’s getting better,” she said.

Another player with massive upside is the sixteen-year-old Yarra Yarra wunderkind Harris, who shot 4-under 68 on the tougher Beach course despite a lost ball and a bogey at the par-5 18th when she hit her tee shot into a fairway bunker and took two shots to get out.

Harris, who is studying year 12 at McKinnon Secondary College before starting a college career in the US, also made a double bogey 7 at the par-5 fifth hole when she bladed her sand shot from the greenside bunker out of bounds.

“I’m not having the best luck out of bunkers today,” she said.

Still, it was the low round of the day for women on the Beach course and tomorrow she will switch to the Creek.

First tee-offs are at 7.45am on Friday with the top 50 players (and ties) progressing to round three.