LAURA DAVIES ONE OFF THE PACE IN US SENIOR PRO LADIES EVENT

                LAURA DAVIES IN ACTION ON SATURDAY

By LISA MICKEY

PALM HARBOR, Florida, Nov. 10 

LPGA Tour veteran Laura Davies of Great Britain moved within one shot of the lead behind Florida’s Laurie Rinker in today’s first round of the ISPS Handa Legends Tour Open Championship.

The big-hitting Brit signed up for her first Legends Tour event this week and carded a 3-under 70 in her opening round to move within one stroke of Rinker, who posted a 4-under-par score of 69 on the par-73 Island Course at Innisbrook, A Salamander Golf and Spa Resort.

An 81-time worldwide winner, Davies sits alone in second in her debut on the Legends Tour -- the tour for LPGA Tour members age 45 and over. Davies owns 20 LPGA victories and is closing in on points that would make her eligible for the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Three more Legends, LPGA Hall of Famer Beth Daniel, Nancy Scranton and Jane Crafter, are tied for third at one-under 72. Six players are tied at even-par 73.

Rinker played in the second pairing this morning and got off to a quick start with birdies on three of her first five holes. 

The veteran pro from Stuart, Fla., bogeyed hole Nos. 6 and 8 for only a one-shot lead after the front nine. But the Floridian rallied on the back nine and played the par-5s at three-under par to finish the day as the only player scoring in the 60s.

Davies chased the lead for most of the day, playing at even par through the first eight holes, but consecutive birdies on Holes 9 and 10 got her to two under and reminded the scoreboard watchers around the 18^th green why she is still a fan favorite.

A bogey on No. 13 dropped Davies back by three strokes, but the Brit answered with birdies on holes 16 and 17 to move to three under. She stuck her approach shot to 10 feet on the 18^th green, but just missed the birdie for a share of the lead.

Scranton was three under par coming into the final green and hoped to move into a share of second place overnight. But the Illinois native stumbled with a double bogey when her approach shot found a tough greenside bunker above the hole.
Alison Nicholas, the second English player in the field, had a four-over 77.

Sherri Steinhauer, winner of this event in 2009, subtracted two strokes from her scorecard and moved to even par with an ace on the par-3 17^th hole. It was her third hole-in-one in competition.

Pairings for Sunday’s final round are as follows (local time):
Par 73

8 a.m. Nancy Lopez 83 / Gail Graham 85

8:10 a.m. Shelley Hamlin 82 / Donna Caponi 83

8:20 a.m. Patty Sheehan 79/ Martha Nause 80

8:30 a.m. Dawn Coe-Jones 79/ Sally Little 79

8:40 a.m. Cindy Miller 79/ Jenny Lidback 79

8:50 a.m. Jane Blalock 78/ JoAnne Carner 78

9:00 a.m. Meg Mallon 77/ Marilyn Lovander 78

9:10 a.m. Kris Tschetter 77/ Alison Nicholas 77

9:20 a.m. Lori West 76/ Cindy Figg-Currier 77

9:30 a.m. Kathryn Young Robyn 77/ Alicia Dibos 77

9:40 a.m. Lorie Kane 76/ Pat Bradley 76

9:50 a.m. Sherri Turner 76/ Cindy Schreyer 76

10:00 a.m. Cindy Rarick 75/ Hollis Stacy 75

10:10 a.m. Barb Moxness 75/ Christa Johnson 75

10:20 a.m. Betsy King 74/ Judy Dickinson 75

10:30 a.m. Liselotte Neumann 74/ Jan Stephenson 74

10:40 a.m. Allison Finney 74/ Barb Mucha 74

10:50 a.m. Rosie Jones 73/ Michele Redman 73

11:00 a.m. Donna Andrews 73/ Sherri Steinhauer 73

11:10 a.m. Beth Daniel 72/ Patti Rizzo 73

11:20 a.m. Jane Crafter 72/ Nancy Scranton 72

11:30 a.m. Laurie Rinker 69/ Laura Davies 70

Tickets are $10 per adult and all proceeds benefit Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. Kids under 17 and active and retired military personnel with an ID get in free. 

For complete scores and highlights, visit  www.thelegendstour.com