Denmark's Nicole Broch Larsen holds a one-shot lead at the delayed Ladies Scottish Open with a first-round 67.

Heavy fog caused a morning delay of two hours at The Renaissance Club on Thursday morning, leaving 27 players to finish the first round on Friday. Wind gusts topped 20 mph, impacting most of the afternoon groups in the first round.

Broch Larsen, playing in her first competitive tournament since February, tapped in for birdie on No. 18 to take a lead of one shot -- over a grouping of five players who shot 68 -- into Friday's action.

"I had 26 putts, so that helps a lot. I didn't hit it like super close but I made a couple of long ones, and I just tried to keep it in play," said Broch Larsen, who played in the day's second group and enjoyed relatively calm breezes compared to the afternoon's steady winds. "I feel like that's kind of the secret to links golf. Like you've got to just play the round and then you make your putt here and there, and yeah, I mean, then it's 4-under."

Broch Larsen said she used the extended time off to zero in on flaws in her short game. She also got engaged.

"I'm a home person and I love being home. So to me, it's definitely been a good period, even though I of course wanted to play tournament golf," said Broch Larsen. "For me personally, it's been really good, and it's not a different Nicole, but I feel like I'm in a better place and I felt that on the course today. I was more relaxed and whenever I hit a bad shot, I kind of moved on faster than normally."

Denmark's Emily Kristine Pedersen, Germany's Olivia Cowan, Jennifer Song, Amy Olson and Spain's Azahara Munoz enter Friday tied for second.

Olson is still chasing her first career victory. The American finished second at the Handa Women's Australian Open in February. That was also Broch Larsen's only other event played in 2020. Olson spent her break in North Dakota, where it snowed several times.

"Honestly I was just playing more than practicing. I think that was good for me, not spending too much time working on technical stuff," she said.

Danielle Kang, who arrived in Scotland having won the LPGA Tour's last two events in Ohio, shot even-par 71 on Thursday and is tied for 22nd after 18 holes.

Hinako Shibuno carded an opening-round 8-over 79. The 2019 AIG Women's Open champion had six bogeys and a double bogey, putting the Japanese star into a tie for 126th going to Friday.

--Field Level Media