If Léon Marchand was his country’s hero in the first week of the Olympic Games, Céline Boutier could perhaps be the star of the French national team in the second week.

The Paris native shot an impressive 65 (7 under par) in the first round of the women’s Olympic golf tournament on Wednesday to secure an early three-stroke lead. South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai was second at 4 under par and a group of four players tied for third at 2 under par, including Lilia Vu of the USA.

Boutier managed eight birdies and one bogey at Le Golf National on a day when only 12 of the 60 players finished under par.

“I’m really overjoyed with how the tournament started for me,” said Boutier. “I definitely didn’t know what to expect today, but I was able to take advantage of some opportunities.”

The 30-year-old won last year’s Evian Championship, an LPGA major, in Évian-les-Bains, France, on the country’s eastern border near Switzerland. She downplayed her local knowledge of Le Golf National but acknowledged the energy of the home fans, who grew increasingly loud, especially when she made three birdies in a row from the 14th to the 16th holes.

“I think I can only compare it to a Solheim Cup event, the energy was similar,” Boutier said. “But yeah, it was definitely nice to experience.”

Vu made four birdies on her first seven holes, but bogeyed two of her final three holes to enter Round 1 as the top American with a score of 2-under 70.

“It was a little tough out there, but we managed,” Vu said. “I think the setup is a little tougher than what we’re used to. I think the greens are tough, and there are a lot of island greens, and you have to place the right shots on the fairway to hit different types of greens.”

“You can’t just go out here and turn on autopilot. You have to think about every single shot.”

The other two American players, Rose Zhang and Nelly Korda, both shot even-par 72s. Korda, the reigning Tokyo gold medalist and world No. 1, was three strokes over par after seven holes but fought back to tie.