Davies takes lead at Mizuno Classic

Shima-Shi, Japan (Sports Network) - Laura Davies birdied five of her final nine holes on Friday -- including her last -- to shoot a seven-under 65 and take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Mizuno Classic.
Reilley Rankin and Chie Arimura shot rounds of six-under 66 to share second place behind Davies. Erina Hara was another shot further back at five-under 67 and Mie Nakata stood at four-under 68.
Jeong Jang, Brittany Lang, In-Kyung Kim and Joo Mi Kim were all at 69.
Featuring 78 players from the LPGA and the LPGA of Japan, this is the last of three consecutive tournaments in Asia for the LPGA Tour.
Few of the top players in the women's world rankings are on hand.
Notably missing from the field this week are world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa and world No. 3 Annika Sorenstam.
Sorenstam won five consecutive Mizuno Classics from 2001-05 to set an LPGA record, a streak that was snapped by Karrie Webb last year.
Webb, the world No. 2, opened her title defense with a one-over 73 on Friday that put her in a tie for 40th place. She hasn't won since claiming this title last season.
Davies, the veteran Englishwoman with 20 career LPGA Tour wins, played in the final threesome off the 10th tee and began the round modestly with two birdies on the back nine at Kashikojima Country Club.
The came back-to-back at the 12th and 13th holes.
Davies began her run up the leaderboard with a birdie at the par-five first hole, the followed a short time later with consecutive birdies again, this time at the third and fourth holes.
She tied early leaders Rankin and Arimura with a birdie at the seventh hole, then snatched the lead by herself with a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four ninth.
Davies made long putts for each of her last three birdies.
"It's all about putting for me," she said. "I normally play solid golf. I hit a high percentage of greens, it's whether I putt well or not. I think I had 26 putts, which might be my lowest of the year."
It was the second time this season Davies held an 18-hole lead on the LPGA Tour. The last time ended with her going 70-79 over the weekend at the 72-hole Ginn Open to finish third.
Six of Davies' 20 wins have come after she held the first-round lead, which she has done 23 times in the 20 years since she turned professional.
Also missing from the field this week is Suzann Pettersen, who won the first two tournaments on the LPGA's three-week Asia swing.
Davies gave Pettersen a run last Sunday in the final round of the Honda LPGA when she posted a 65 to make Pettersen, who entered the round with a seven- shot lead, sweat it out.
Pettersen needed an eagle at her last hole to beat Davies by a shot."I think that was the closest I've been to actually crying on the golf course for a very long time, I was so disappointed," Davies said on Friday. "[W]hen her (eagle) putt went in, it was just like someone had kicked me in the stomach, it was just an awful feeling.
"I was fighting not to shed a tear. I'm two wins away from the Hall of Fame and that would've been halfway there. So, I was encouraged, but very disappointed."

Verplank takes over top spot at Disney World

Lake Buena Vista, FL (Sports Network) - Scott Verplank fired his second straight six-under 66 Friday to move to the top of the leaderboard at the Children's Miracle Network Classic.
Verplank, whose win at Byron Nelson Championship snapped a six-year winless stretch, completed 36 holes at 12-under-par 132.
Tag Ridings, who needs to win this event to keep his tour card for next year, also fired a 66 to move into share of second at minus-11. He was joined there by Stephen Ames and Ryan Armour. There are eight players one shot back at 10- under-par 134.
"It's nice to be in second place or be near the lead at least and have a chance on the weekend," admitted Ridings. "But I'm not really thinking of anything besides just playing this tournament alone."
With players competing with amateur partners for the first two rounds this week, players are rotating over the Magnolia and Palm Courses at Walt Disney World Resort for the first two rounds. The Magnolia Course will host the final two rounds.
The big battle this week is for players to move into the top 125 on the money list to keep their tour cards for next year.
Verplank, who went 4-0 for the United States at the Presidents Cup in September, started on the back nine at the Magnolia Course.
He was on fire early with birdies on 10 and 11. He followed with birdies at 13 and 15, from eight feet, to move within one of the lead.
Verplank drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-four 17th to gain a piece of the lead. He came right back with a six-foot birdie putt on 18 to take the lead heading to his second nine.
Around the turn, Verplank reeled off nine straight pars to hold onto his one- shot lead, which he will take into Saturday's third round.
"I kind of lost my rhythm a little bit. It kind of got windier as the day went on and it's a different direction than you normally see around here," stated Verplank. "I got on such a nice roll the first nine holes that I didn't just kill myself by making a bunch of pars."
Ames started on No. 10 of the Palm Course. He notched three birdies on his opening nine to turn at minus-five. On the front nine, Ames ran off seven straight birdies to gain the lead at 12-under. However, he bogeyed the ninth to share second.
Ridings carded three birdies in his first four holes from the 10th on the Magnolia Course. He then parred four in a row before faltering to a bogey at the 18th.
He eagled the fourth to jump to minus-nine. Ridings birdied the seventh and ninth to join Ames in second. Ridings is lucky to be here at all.
"The way I saw the list, I think I was 12th after all the commitments were done on Friday. I may have been 15th. I thought it was 15th, but I might not have looked at it at the same time it was over," explained Ridings, who was an alternate to start the week. "I got a call Tuesday afternoon telling me that I was second alternate. I flew out Wednesday morning."
Armour posted back-to-back birdies from the first on the Palm Course. He wrapped birdies at five and seven around a bogey on six.
A birdie on the ninth moved Armour to seven-under. Armour eagled the par-five 11th. He gained a piece of second place with birdies at 16 and 17.
First-round leader J.P. Hayes carded a three-under 69 and is now tied for fifth at 10-under-par 134. He was joined there by Brett Wetterich, Cameron Beckman, Bart Bryant, Justin Leonard, Steve Marino, Sean O'Hair and Vaughn Taylor.
Defending champion Joe Durant managed an even-par 72 and tumbled into a share of 58th at four-under-par 140.
The cut line fell at three-under-par 141. This was the largest cut of the year with 89 players advancing to the weekend.
Among those who missed the weekend were 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel (142), John Merrick (143), who was 133rd on the money list and needed a good week to keep his tour card, and Ted Purdy (143), who entered the week as No. 125 on the money list, but could lose that position.
Among the players that could pass Purdy on the money list are No. 127 Kevin Stadler, No. 129 Craig Kanada and No. 132 Chris Stroud.