ROYAL OAK, Mich. – There were plenty of red numbers on the scoreboard at Red Run Golf Club on Tuesday – but nobody went as low as Pimchompoo “Pinky” Chaisilprungruang.

The Charlotte sophomore from Thailand delivered a bogey-free, 8-under 64, finishing the opening round of the 125th Women’s Western Amateur just two strokes shy of the course record. Chaisilprungruang carded eight birdies – including three straight on her final three holes – to build a three-shot lead heading into the second round of stroke-play qualifying on Wednesday.

“I felt so happy walking off the green,” Chaisilprungruang said. “My mindset was so strong. I wasn’t feeling too well the last couple of days, so I wanted to play relaxing golf and have fun.”

The 19-year-old leads a decorated field that includes 2024 champion Farah O’Keefe, the No. 7-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and No. 43 Huai-Chien Hsu. The Texas Longhorn teammates sit in a tie for second at 5-under par after matching rounds of 67.

“My putting was great today, and my tee shots were in the fairway,” Chaisilprungruang said. “That gave me opportunities to make a lot of birdies.”

Chaisilprungruang is no stranger to rising above elite competition. In June, she captured her first major amateur title at the 110th Southwestern Amateur in Scottsdale, Arizona. Just two weeks later, she won a playoff at Pinehurst No. 2 to claim medalist honors at the 123rd North & South Women’s Amateur.

Even when faced with minor setbacks on Tuesday, Chaisilprungruang remained composed.

“On hole 13, I hit it a foot into the rough. If I had been one foot left, I would have been in the fairway,” she explained. “Instead of thinking that, I thought on the positive side.”

She made a par to keep her bogey-free round going. That steady focus is no accident – it begins well before her opening tee shot.

“I listen to calm, meditation songs that my coach recommended to me,” she said. “It is my pre-round routine.”

Chaisilprungruang now finds herself in control heading into the next round at Red Run, setting the pace for one of the most competitive amateur fields of the summer.

O’Keefe, a 20-year-old standout from Austin, Texas, also kept her scorecard clean for the opening round. Her five birdies included a trio on Nos. 11, 12 and 13.

The defending champion feels right at home this week.

“I really like this event,” O’Keefe said. “I won last year and so I’ve been welcomed back with open arms. That’s something you don’t get a lot of places, even if you win. For me, I just love this experience and the people and so it’s just a fun week every time.”

O’Keefe – who is sticking to her collegiate roots and carrying her own bag – felt most comfortable on the greens on the par-72 layout.

“My putter got hot at the beginning,” she said. “I had a couple more putts find the bottom of the hole coming down the stretch and it’s always a good round when I’m rolling the rock. I carried my bag last year, and I play really well when I carry my own bag because I make confident decisions, especially when I take time to learn the golf course by myself.”

Following closely behind O’Keefe and the 21-year-old Hsu at 4-under is Samford junior Gabriella Nicastro, who shot 68 after carding a 4-under 32 on the front nine. The 20-year-old Huntsville, Alabama, native sits alone in fourth.

Seven players share a tie for fifth at 3-under. That group includes: Kylee Choi (Ohio State) of Murrieta, California; Maelynn Kim (Houston) of Katy, Texas; Ashleen Kaur (Baylor) of Cypress, Texas; Jazy Roberts of Bendigo, Australia; Macy Pate (Wake Forest) of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Emma Schimpf (College of Charleston) of Daniel Island, South Carolina; and Honorine Nobuta Ferry of Flower Mound, Texas.

Forty-two players are even par or better heading into the final round of stroke-play qualifying.

A final 18 holes of stroke-play qualifying will take place on Wednesday, after which the field will be cut to the low 32 players for match play starting Thursday. Five rounds of 18-hole matches will determine the 2025 champion.

Held without interruption since 1901, the Women’s Western Amateur is among the oldest and most prestigious annual championships in women’s amateur golf. The tournament is conducted jointly by the Women’s Western Golf Association and the Western Golf Association.

The championship features the top amateur and collegiate players from across the globe. The winner at Red Run this week will join a list of past champions that includes legendary stars Patty Berg, Louise Suggs and Nancy Lopez as well as modern standouts like Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lang, Stacy Lewis and Ariya Jutanugarn.

Attendance and parking for the Women’s Western Amateur are free.