FORT WAYNE – After round one of the Indiana PGA Women’s Open, the leaderboard is crowded. Three players posted 18-hole rounds of 2-under-par, 71, including Julia Potter, Indianapolis, Brittany Kelly, The Hawthorns GCC, and McKenzie Hilsmeyer, Jasper. They currently share the lead by one shot over Amanda Detmer, Madison.

“The course is in great shape and you know what to expect out here,” Potter said. “I played well today, but need to eliminate the bogeys. If I can play the par-3s well and stay around even par, I think I should be in good shape.”

Potter is a three-time IHSAA State Champion, a USGA Champion (Women’s Mid-Am, ’13), a four-time IWGA Alice O’Neal Dye Player of the Year, a two-time IWGA Match Player Champion (’09, ’16) and a four-time Indiana Women’s Amateur Champion (’07, ’08, ’14, ’15). The Penn High School graduate looks for her first Women’s Open win tomorrow at Brookwood Golf Club in Fort Wayne, the only Women’s event she is missing from her golf resume.

“It’s the event that I have been trying to win for a while now,” Potter said. “But I need to stop focusing on that and remember that it’s just another golf tournament. Winning any event is special, so I just plan to think of tomorrow as a normal day on the course.”

Ten years ago, Kelly grabbed her first Women’s Open title at The Legends GC in Franklin. Also a Women’s Amateur Champion (’09), Kelly looks to add a win this week to her list of accomplishments.

“I’ve been trying to win this event for a second time for the last ten years,” Kelly said. “To win as a professional would be special, so I plan to come out tomorrow and play my own game and see what happens.”

Kelly’s round was partially made possible by a string of birdies on holes 6, 7 and 8. However, she felt like the course tested her short game, something she has not the opportunity to practice much lately.

“I played well, but I felt like I had a lot of shots 100 yards and in,” Kelly said. “I hope to improve on my wedge game tomorrow and give myself more looks at birdie.”

Hilsmeyer, a rising senior at IUPUI, is playing in her second Women’s Open ever this week. She credits her low round to her tremendous putting today.

“I made a lot of putts around 10 feet today,” Hilsmeyer said. “I had a couple of lucky breaks, but overall it was my putting that made a huge difference today.”

Last week, Hilsmeyer won the MAJGC College Series at Kampen Golf Club in Lafayette. She says that was a confidence boost heading into today.

“I wasn’t expecting to be in this position after the first round, but I did feel good coming off of a win,” Hilsmeyer said. “I’ve gotten more comfortable being in the lead recently, and I plan to remain confident as much as possible.”

Six players trails by two shots at even par, including 2016 IWGA State Amateur Champion, Anna Gleixner, Greenwood, Sydney Anderson, Columbus, Erin Ingram, Richmond, Morgan Dabagia, Fort Wayne, Lauren Tibbets, Converse, and Betsy Werner, Indianapolis.

A host of locals are active in the tournament, led by Mishawaka’s Cassidy Jurkaites, who shot a three-over 76 to sit tied for 19th. Linnzie Richner of Nappanee was five-over at 78, Lindsey Budnik of North Manchester and Kinley Lingenfelter of Rochester both were eight-over at 81, Melanie DeGroff of Elkhart and Madison Chestnutt of Mishawaka both were nine-over at 82, Andi Sandler of South Bend was 10-over at 83, and Macenzie Lane of Columbia City was 21-over at 94.

Tee times begin tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.