Dottie Ardina and Clariss Guce led the Philippine charge with identical 2-under par 70s at the start of the Champions Fore Change Invitational at the Taberna Country Club In New Bern, North Carolina on Friday.

Ardina missed 10 greens but finished the round without a bogey while making back-to-back bogeys from the 10th hole. She saved par from the bunker twice.

Guce, on the other hand, knocked in four birdies coming home to bounce back from a bogey on 10 and a double bogey on 13.

Bianca Pagdanganan missed only three greens in a round of 71. She made three birdies against two bogeys.

Pauline del Rosario faded with three bogeys in the last seven holes to settle for a 72.

Starting at the back, she made three birdies in the first eight holes, bogeyed 18 and birdied 2 before dropping shots on 3, 4 and 7.

Chanelle Avaricio carded a 75, mixing three birdies with six bogeys.

Chinese Yiyi Liu was the runaway leader on 63, three shots ahead of Selena Costabile, Cassie Porter, Jennifer Rosenberg and Roberta Liti.