The World No.6 shot an opening round four-under-par 67 to be tied for 14th, three strokes behind the leaders.
The 27-year-old West Australian finished joint 13th at last week's U.S Women's Open, and trails Swede Linn Grant and Jaravee Boonchant of Thailand after their 64s.
Boonchant holed out from 128 yards for eagle on just her second shot of the round on Thursday.
"I was just like on the first cut and I was like, 'OK, this shot, just anywhere on the green'," Boonchant said about the eagle on No.10. "And the ball just happened to hit one bounce and hop in the hole."
The 24-year-old who is winless on the LPGA Tour and missed the cut last week in California, also had seven birdies and two bogeys at Highland Meadows.
"My irons were really doing the work today and just put me in a position that I could have a chance to make a birdie," Boonchant said.
"My putter was rolling really well, too, so that really helped."
Grant had a bogey-free round, opening with six straight pars on the back nine. Also winless on the Tour, the 24-year-old birdied 16-18 and 2, 6, 8 and 9.
Another Thai in Ariya Jutanugarn and Emily Pedersen of Denmark were a stroke back. Twelve-time Tour winner Jutanugarn had a bogey-free round while Pedersen birdied three of her last four holes.
Rose Zhang topped the nine-player group at five-under-par. She had received a sponsor exemption to the Dana Open when she turned pro, and before winning her first LPGA Tour event as a pro at Liberty National.
"I was able to convert some long putts for birdie and made a really clutch par putt on the par-5 coming in, so I think overall it was very solid," Zhang said.
Aussies Gabi Ruffels, Sarah Kemp, Karis Davidson and Steph Kyriacou all had one-under 70s, while compatriots Su Oh and Grace Kim shot 71s and Sarah Jane Smith a 74.
Defending champion Gaby Lopez of Mexico opened with a 70, bogeying two of the three par-5s.
U.S Women's Open winner Allisen Corpuz birdied the two closing par-5s for a 67 while World No.1 Jin Young Ko – who missed the cut at Pebble Beach – shot a 69.