Vikki Laing (71) makes solid start
to LPGA Tour Qualifying School

Michelle Wie made a confident start to the LPGA Tour Final Qualifying School the start of which was delayed because of overnight FROST at Daytona Beach, Florida today.
Michele sank a 25ft birdie putt on her final hole to return a three-under-par 69 on the first day That put the Hawaiian teenager in a tie for sixth place behind leader Shiho Oyama of Japan who birdied four of her last six holes in returning a eight-under 64 on the Champions course at LPGA International.
Wie played the more difficult Legends course and rarely was in trouble, probably because she used her head instead of her driver from most of the tees. She used her driver, in fact, only four times.
Is the Stanford University student learning the lesson that it is better to be prudent than rash when your future career on the LPGA Tour is on the line.
Her only bogey came with three putts at the 14th.
She was in a tie for sixth after the first of five rounds. The top 20 earn full status on the LPGA Tour next season.
The one thing you don't want to do is start with a "bad" score because it means you are fighting to beat the cut after 72 holes.
Musselburgh exile Vikki Laing avoided any major slips on the first day and could feel well satisfied with a one-under-par 71 which gives her something to build on. She is joint 18th at the end of the first day.
But England's Melissa Reid, one of the brightest young stars of the Ladies European Tour, has almost put herself out of the running after only 18 holes that cost her 79 blows. She is in joint 126th position in a field of 140. You would have to think the Derby girl, who turned pro only last winter, opting out of playing in the Curtis Cup match at St Andrews, was suffering from nerves because she is a much better player than her score would suggest.
British women's open amateur champion Anna Nordqvist, still an amateur and still a student at Arizona State University, did not start as well as expected. She had a 74, the same score as twice former British amateur champion and fellow Swede Louise Stahle.
FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72
64 Shiho Oyama.
66 Mika Miyazalo (am).
67 Mollie Fankhauser, Amy Yang.
68 Jeehae Lee.
69 Stacy Lewis, Michele Wie, Audra Burks.
70 Maru Martinez, Chella Choi, Onnarin Sattayabanphot, Carolina Llano, Eunjung Yi, Ashleigh Simon, Lea Wigger, Young-A Yang, Anna Grzbien.
Selected European scores:
71 Vikki Laing (jt 18th).
72 Sophie Giquel (jt 33rd).
74 Emma Cabrera-Bello, Anna Nordqvist (am), Louise Stahle, Dewi-Claire Schreefel (jt 71st).
75 Miriam Nagl (jt 87th).]
76 Beatriz Recari (jt 101st).
78 Tania Elosegui (jt 120st).
79 Melissa Reid (jt 126th).
80 Martina Eberl (jt 136th).