Hannah Green is counting her lucky stars after making a brilliant - and drama-free start - to the LPGA Tour's weather-hit Maybank Championship in Malaysia.
Green stole Grace Kim's thunder as the Australian duo finished right in the mix after the opening round of the inaugural $US3 million event at the Kuala Lumpur Country Club.
Green birdied the last two holes in carding a sizzling eight-under-par 64 to sit solo second, a shot behind first-round clubhouse leader Jasmine Suwannapura, before more than a third of the field were caught up in a near-four-hour delay.
Chasing a second LPGA Tour title of the year after snaring the LA Championship in April, Green racked up eight birdies in all without dropping a shot all day.
Fellow Australian Sarah Kemp opened with a three-under 69 to be tied 22nd and was also safely in the clubhouse when the horn sounded to signal the suspension of play because of thunderstorms.
Lightning in the area forced 32 players off the course at 1:53pm on Thursday.
The first round didn't resume until 5.41pm, allowing the players to finish just before the sun set after a three-hour, 48-minute delay.
Green was mightily relieved to have avoided being swept up in the stoppage by a matter of minutes.
"Very, very happy," said the former major winner.
"I actually didn't realise how close it was getting until I walked back after looking at the green for my third shot on the last.
"I was like 'oh, my gosh, I really don't want to be stuck on the putting green with who knows how long of a delay. So it was nice for that putt to fall in, and obviously in good position for the tournament."
Kim earlier significantly boosted her chances of claiming the LPGA Tour's rookie-of-the-year award with a similarly fast start.
The rising star posted a flawless seven-under-par 65 to be equal third with Americans Gina Kim and Rose Zhang, Taiwan's Peiyun Chien and Swede Linn Grant.
Kim iced her round with her fifth birdie on the last hole, after also swooping a superb eagle on the short par-4 14th.
The 22-year-old entered the fourth-last event of the season in second position in the rookie-of-the-year race behind South Korean Hae Ran Ryu.
As well as capturing her maiden LPGA Tour victory at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii in April, Kim has enjoyed a series of top-15 finishes this year including at the Women's US Open and PGA Championship.
Fellow Sydneysider Steph Kyriacou opened with a two-under 70.
The Australian quartet are bidding to follow compatriot Minjee Lee's victory last Sunday at the BMW Ladies Championship outside Seoul.
The world No.4 Lee is not playing this week.
But Thailand's Suwannapura has set a cracking pace with seven birdies and also an eagle at No.14 in her own unblemished first round on Thursday.
