Team Ireland players Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire both toiled on day one at the Olympic women’s golf tournament as six-over-par rounds of 78 left them 13 off the pace.
Meadow, who was out in the first group at Le Golf National, carded seven bogeys with her only birdie coming at the par-five 18th.
Europe Solheim Cup star Maguire doubled bogeyed the first and a triple bogey at the ninth dropped her to seven over with three back-nine birdies doing little to undo the damage.
Home hope Celine Boutier leads after a superb eight-birdie 65 which gave her a three-stroke lead over South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai.
Only 11 players were under par nearing the end of play with world number one Nelly Korda sharing 12th place on level par.
Meadow, 32, went out in 41 shots after bogeys at the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth.
The Jordanstown woman dropped further shots at the 10th and 12th before her only birdie of the day at Le Golf National came at the closing par-five 18th.
Despite not “having my best stuff” on day one, Meadow described her the experience of playing at her third Olympics as “fantastic”.
“Being in the first group there were tons of French out there, some Belgians and quite a few Irish were behind me,” said the county Antrim woman.
“It was great to have the support behind me and really for women’s golf to play in front of crowds like that.”
Meadow and Maguire were sharing 50th spot while Great Britain’s Solheim Cup star Charley Hull was in third-last spot after an 81.