Hailee Cooper turned in one of the first scores during the first round of the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa and it withstood the whole day of play. The cascading hills and chilly conditions could not slow down Cooper, who posted a bogey-free 7-under 65 to start her tournament.

The Montgomery, Texas native enters the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa just a week after qualifying for her first U.S. Women's Open presented by Ally. The good vibes continued in Beaumont, with Cooper rolling in three straight birdies on holes four, five, and six and making the turn with a 3-under 33.

The back nine began with a pair of birdies on 10 and 11, followed by four pars. Back-to-back birdies came at 16 and 17 to move Cooper to 7-under for the day. The 25-year-old has four professional victories under her belt, winning three times on the ANNIKA Women's All Pro Tour and once on the NXXT Tour, but is still in search of her first win on the Epson Tour.

"My putter was just really hot today. I made a couple of 15-footers for par, even. That just kind of jump-started my round a little bit more. So, I was rolling the rock good," said Cooper. "I had a good tournament last week to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open. My putting was ok, so I went home and tried to work on it a little bit more. So, I'm glad it showed up today."

Following just behind are Riley Smyth, who is paired with Cooper for the first two days of play, and Maria Fassi, who posted the lowest score of the afternoon wave. Smyth and Fassi carded a 6-under 66, with Fassi getting around Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon bogey-free.

"I mean, obviously, always happy when you post a bogey-free round. They come rare for me, so I'm just very happy and proud of our work out there today," said Fassi.

Round two will begin Saturday at 7 a.m. local time, with a cut to be made at the end of play with the top 60 and ties advancing to Sunday. Follow along with the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa here.

Cooper Leads in Beaumont in Search of her First Epson Tour Victory

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