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."