After Hannah Green signed for an opening round of five-over 77, it took until the 14th hole of Minjee’s round for the Aussie pair to register their first birdie on a challenging course buffeted by strong morning winds.

But after Minjee conjured what she described as a “hard-fought birdie” at the par-five 14th, they came with a flurry.

She holed a 24-foot putt for birdie on 15, hit a brilliant tee shot into just six feet at the par-three 16th and then closed out her round of one-under 71 with a two-putt birdie from 56 feet at the par-5 18th.

Frenchwoman Celine Boutier thrilled the boisterous home crowd with a stunning seven-under 65 to lead by three but, on a day in which only 12 players broke par, Minjee ignited her medal dream by finishing in a tie for seventh.

“I didn’t really hit it close enough to really make that many birdies on the front nine,” Minjee said.

“I was pretty much scrambling for most of the day, trying to make up-and-downs, and made some, missed some.

“Then gave myself a bit of a nudge and thought I had to make a few birdies coming in.

“I just didn’t want to be over par, so four birdies in the last five, I’m happy with the finish.”

Minjee’s putting proved problematic for much of the front nine, a missed birdie chance from five feet on three followed by missed putts for par from close range at both six and 12.

When a putt from seven feet for birdie failed to drop on 13, Minjee was three-over and facing Le Golf National’s daunting finish.

But it brought out the best in the two-time major winner, who will fully assess her gold medal prospects once round two is completed.

“At the moment I don’t feel like it because it’s the first day,” said Minjee, when asked if she felt in medal contention.

“Maybe it will feel a little different after tomorrow, to feel out where I am on the leaderboard and where I sit at the halfway point.”

Although tied for 46th after Round 1, Hannah has three rounds to claw her way back up the leaderboard.

One of the form players on the LPGA Tour this season with two tournament wins, Hannah struggled off the tee..

She tangled with the gnarly rough on her way to a bogey on four, dropped another shot on seven and then found the water before making par at the par-five ninth.

Hannah found the water twice more with approach shots into 15 and 18 which, combined with a frustrating day on the greens, made for a disappointing start in her second Olympic appearance.

“Just finding it tricky to read the greens,” admitted Hannah, who had 30 total putts in round one.

“But when you hit it three times in the water, you’re not going to make par.

“Pretty deflating, probably last nine holes, I would say. Just going to have to go shake it off.

“Three more days. I guess it’s different in the sense that we don’t have a cut. It’s early days, and we’ll see how they are going to set up the golf course the next three days.”

Playing in her third consecutive Olympic Games, Minjee hailed the French crowds for creating an atmosphere that better reflected the true Olympic experience.

Location of the golf course kept crowds down in Rio in 2016, while Covid put paid to any crowds attending at all for Tokyo 2020.

But with a legion of supporters cheering for Boutier in the group behind, Minjee revelled in the energy that pulsed through the golf course.

“They were literally chanting her name on most of the holes,” Minjee said.

“The energy is really amazing out there. And they have been really supportive of all the players.

“It really feels like what I imagined the Olympics to be.”

Two-time Women’s Australian Open champion, Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa, is outright second at four-under par with Gaby Lopez (Mexico), Morgane Metraux (Switzerland), Mariajo Uribe (Colombia) and Lilia Vu (USA) tied for third at two-under.

Minjee begins her second round at 5:44pm AEST, with Hannah to tee off at 7:44pm AEST.

Tony Webeck