Celine Boutier knows the enthusiastic home crowd can only help her so much.

She still has to execute the shots.

Looking to reverse what has been a wildly disappointing season, Boutier raced out to a 7-under 65 Wednesday to take a three-shot lead at the Paris Olympics. She’s currently five shots clear of third place.

Here’s what to watch for in the second round at Le Golf National:

Boutier was neither long nor particularly straight on Wednesday, but she made up for it by taking advantage of a few tight iron shots and riding a molten-hot putter that gained nearly five shots on the field. Even if she can continue to count on the robust support from the fans, her 123 feet worth of putts made is most likely unsustainable.

A four-time winner last year, Boutier has been lacking in nearly every statistical category this season. She has fallen off most noticeably in greens in regulation and putting, making her ball-striking performance on Day 2 of particular importance. 

“I don’t think I hit it that close,” she said, “but I was able to be within range to make a birdie run. I definitely took advantage of that.” 

Lilia Vu will have to shake off what was a head-turning end to her first round, when she dropped two shots in her last three holes during a 2-under 70: a three-putt bogey on 16 and then a snap hook into the pond on 18. She bogeyed two of the four par 5s on Wednesday.

Considering the way she started the day — and the overall difficulty of Le Golf National, with its many hazards, thick rough and firm greens — she was ecstatic with the result.

“Given how this morning’s warmup went, I was a little bit of a mess, not feeling great about my game,” Vu said. “I’m like, Oh, you have to have everything here. So definitely satisfied with how I played today.” 

Vu, who battled a back injury for the first half of the season, has been playing better of late. She won in her first start back and followed it up with a tie for second at the Women’s PGA.

Earlier this week, Vu, a two-time major winner last season, said that a gold medal would rank above a major in her mind.

“In the sense that you’re playing for your country and it’s more than just golf,” she said. “It’s the Olympics, which is the best athletes all over the world.” 

For now, she’s the top American on the board. Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang each shot 72 in the first round.

One of the biggest stories of the week remains a headliner after the opening round.

Lydia Ko is the only player, male or female, who has won a medal in each of the previous two Olympic competitions. This week, a gold medal would complete the trifecta — and also represent the last point needed for induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Ko was under par for the day before she found the water with her approach into the 15th green and made double bogey. A close-range wedge on 18 got her back to even par for the day and, at this point, just two shots off the podium stand.

Wednesday’s round actually represented Ko’s best early position in an Olympics. In Rio, she needed to rally with a third-round 65 to get into medal contention, while in 2021 she went 66-65 in the final two rounds to take bronze.

“I haven’t had the greatest starts to my Olympics prior,” she said, “so this gives me hope.”

Ashleigh Buhai led the field in greens in regulation (15) in the opening round on her way to a 68 that could have been even better if not for a three-putt par on the last. The 2022 Women’s Open champion has zero top-10s this season and is just 87th in the LPGA’s season-long standings. … Diksha Dagar, who is hearing impaired and wears a cochlear implant, bogeyed her last two holes in her opening 71. The left-hander, who is a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, is trying to emulate fellow countrywoman Aditi Ashok, who shot 72 on Wednesday in her first Olympic round since placing fourth in Tokyo. … Two-time major winner Minjee Lee made four birdies in her last five holes Wednesday to post one of just 12 rounds under par. She shot 71 despite ranking 49th out of 60 players in putting. … Canadian Brooke Henderson made only six pars in the first-round 74. Her last four holes included a double on 15, a bogey on 17 and an eagle bomb on 18. … Hannah Green, a two-time winner on the LPGA this season, opened with a 77 but remains just seven shots out of third place.