Morgan Pressel shot a five-under 67 yesterday to lead the Mizuno Classic by one stroke after the first round.
Pressel, who has not won on the LPGA Tour since 2008, had five birdies at the Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club.
“It was tough out there with the winds. Especially early, some of those holes played really tough,” Pressel said. “I didn’t get myself in a lot of trouble and when I did I made a good putt for par. I definitely putted well today and I think that’s why I ended up at five-under.”
Britain’s Laura Davies and Chella Choi of South Korea were in second spot at four-under.
Kotono Kozuma of Japan was a stroke further back after a 69 and in a four-way tie with South Koreans Lee Il-hee and Lee Mi-hyang, and Pornanong Phatlam of Thailand.
Stacy Lewis of the US, who won in Shima in 2012, shot a 70 and was in a group of eight players that included Karie Webb of Australia and Sakura Yokomine of Japan.
Lewis, second in the Rolex rankings behind Inbee Park of South Korea, offset bogeys on nine and 14 with four birdies.
Park is taking a week off before resuming play next week in Mexico at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
Defending champion Teresa Lu of Taiwan struggled with her game and opened with a one-over 73, while former world No. 1 Yani Tseng was a shot further back and Taiwan’s Phoebe Yao struggled to a five-over 77.
Shin Ji-yai of South Korea, who won in Shima in 2010 and 2008, carded a 71.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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