Women's Australian Open at Melbourne

Laura Davies leads by two with a five-under 68

Defending champion Laura Davies shot a five-under-par 68 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Women's Australian Open at Melbourne today
Davies had six birdies and a bogey on the tough, par-73 Commonwealth lay-out where fewer than 25 golfers in the 150-woman field broke par.
There was a six-way tie for second: Yang Soo-jin, Giulia Sergas, Jenni Kuosa, Felicity Johnson, Rebecca Flood and amateur Alison Whitaker all had 70s.
Alexis Thompson, the 15-year-old American amateur who played in the U.S. Open at the age of 12, shot 71 and was in a group tied for eighth.
Karrie Webb, winner last week of the Australian Ladies Masters and a four-time Women's Australian Open champion, shot 73. Playing the tougher back nine first, Webb had three bogeys before making the turn and then made four birdies and another bogey to remain even on the day.
Former US Curtis Cup amateur star Amanda Blumenherst, who led the Australian Masters after the first two rounds, shot 77 while fellow American Christina Kim had a 78.
Davies bailed herself out by some strong putting.
"Luckily I putted really well today," Davies said. "Today we had two 8- or 9-footers for par and they both went right in the middle of the hole. That's the sort of thing that really keeps you going. Then on nine, hoping to two-putt and you roll a 35-footer in so that was a real bonus."
Davies has won the Australian Open twice -- last year at Metropolitan and in 2004 at Concord in New South Wales.
ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 73
Players from Australia unless stated.
68 Laura Davies (England)
70 Alison Whitaker, Felicity Johnson (England), Giulia Sergas (Italy), Jenni Kuosa (Finland), Rebecca Flood, Soo-Jin Yang (South Korea)
71 Stefanie Michl (Austria), Lindsey Wright, Alexis Thompson (US)
72 Riikka Hakkarainen (Finland), Melissa Reid (Eng), Hee Kyung Seo (South Korea), Sarah Oh (South Korea), Karine Icher (France), Kristie Smith, Vicky Hurst (US), Christel Boeljon (Netherlands), Katherine Hull
73 He-yong Choi (South Korea), Kym Larratt (England), Rachel Bailey (Eng), Karrie Webb, Lorie Kane (Canada), Elizabeth Bennett (England), Marjet Van Der Graaff (Netherlands), Ha-Neul Kim (South Korea)
74 Frances Bondad, Tamara Beckett, Bree Turnbull, Nina Reis (Sweden), Krystle Caithness (Scotland), Rebecca Hudson (England), Caroline Rominger (Switzerland), Yani Tseng (Taiwan), Joanne Mills, Lynn Kenny (Scotland), Mina Harigae (US)
75 Marianne Skarpnord (Norway), Hannah Ralph (England), Louise Stahle (Sweden), Michelle Ellis (USA), You-Na Park (South Korea), Leah Hart, Justine Lee, Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Sophie Gustafson (Sweden), Sarah Kemp, Stacy Lewis (US), Cathryn Bristow (New Zealand), Jane Kim (South Korea)
76 Hazel Kavanagh (Ireland), Danielle Bowers (England), Hanna-Leena Salonen (Finland), Vicky Hermina Thomas, Azahara Munoz (Spain), Bree Arthur (Australia), Tamie Durdin, Stacey Keating, Sarah Nicholson (New Zealand), Stephanie Na, Jessica Ji (South Korea), Janice Moodie (Scotland), Jeong Jang (South Korea), Dana Lacey, Nikki Garrett, Sophie Walker (England), Lydia Hall (Wales), Florentyna Parker (England)
77 Taylor Leon (US), Jeong Eun Lee (South Korea), Tania Elosegui (Spain), Becky Brewerton (Wales), Diana D'Alessio (US), Virginine Lagoutte-Clement (France), Georgina Simpson (England), Ashleigh Simon (South Africa), Becky Morgan (Wales), Sophie Giquel (France), Breanne Loucks (Wales), Mi-Sun Cho (South Korea), Bo-Mee Lee (South Korea), Rebecca Coakley (Ireland), Vikki Laing (Scotland, Ashley Ona, Ran Hong (South Korea), Sarah-Jane Smith, Ursula Wikstrom (Finland), Sandra Gal (Germany), Iben Tinning (Den), Bettina Hauert (Germany), Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden), Amanda Blumenherst (US)
78 Shin-Ae Ahn (Kor), Kate Combes, Jessica Noh, Anna Oh (Kor), Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra), Melanie Bryden, Elissa Orr, Titiya Plucksataporn (Thailand), Leanne Bowditch, Linda Wessberg (Sweden), Christina Kim (US), Julie Greciet (France), Hyun-soo Kim (South Korea), Caroline Afonso (France), Emma Bennett (Australia), Meaghan Francella (US), Bronwyn Mullins-Lane
79 Karen Lunn, Chae young Yoon (South Korea), Wendy Doolan, Hye youn Kim (Kor), Ji-Na Lim (South Korea), Lee-Anne Pace (South Africa), Bo Mi Suh (US), Su-hyun Oh (South Korea), Emma Cabrera Bello (Spain), Sunny Park, Veronica Zorzi (Italy)
80 Vikki Tutt, Mianne Bagger (Denmark), Jessica Speechley, Beth Allen (US), Zoe Brake (New Zealand), Alison Walshe (Ireland), Julia Boland
81 Stacy Tate (New Zealand), Karen Pearce, Martina Eberl (Ger), Bo Kyung Kim (South Korea), Ellen Davies-Graham
82 Verity Knight, Stacy Lee Bregman (South Africa), Jayde Panos, Jan Stephenson (US), Carlie Butler
83 Katy Jarochowicz, Carmen Alonso (Spain)
84 Tamara Hyett, Cherie Byrnes, Wendy Berger, Helen Oh, Gwladys Nocera (Fra)
85 Lisa Jean, Whitney Hillier
86 Jody Fleming, Angela Tatt
89 Nicole Montgomery