On a Thursday when Japanese Akie Iwai roared into a two-shot lead with an eight-under 63, the distant Australian challenge at Evian-les-Bains was led by Cassie Porter, who still found herself six shots off the lead in joint-20th place after a two-under 69.
She was a shot clear of Hannah Green, the former Women's PGA champ, and Karis Davidson, who both fired 70s and were tied for 35th place.
Yet Kim, whose incredible playoff triumph at the Evian Resort Club last year rocketed her in the major winners' circle, simply never got going as she struggled with a two-over 73 that left her in joint 87th-position.
For Australia's three-time major champ Lee, winner of the Evian in 2021, it turned into an even worse day as she opened with a six-over par 77 that may well have scuppered her chances already. Her round featured a double-bogey and a triple.
A year after producing one of the great fightbacks in golf annals to land her maiden major with an incredible eagle-birdie-eagle finish, Kim was going nicely at two under when she too served up a triple-bogey seven at the par-four 12th and then coughed up a couple more sixes on the long 15th and 18th holes.
Iwai, though, made birdies at three of the last four holes, including the par-five 18th, to lead by two from Perrine Delacour, whose six-under 65 included an eagle at the par-five 15th and a pair of bogeys toward the end of her round.
"I was able to have a good focus on my golf and stay committed. I prepared a lot around the green with chipping and putting. I was driving well, but honestly everything was good," Iwai said.
"I like driver, so if I'm good and consistent with my driver it helps. I made the good score. I like this course, it's similar to a course in Japan."
A group of five players with five-under 66s included the winner of the Women's PGA Championship two weeks ago, Haeran Ryu, and world No.5 Charley Hull, who started the week as a guest in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
But like Lee, world No.1 Nelly Korda, who won the first two majors this season, the Chevron Championship and the US Open, had a bad day, finding herself 11 shots back with a three-over 74, including a double-bogey six at her first hole, the 10th.
