TRISH JOHNSON LYING JOINT SECOND IN LEGENDS TOUR OPEN

           Trish Johnson ... bidding to follow up Laura Davies' victory in the event last year

PALM HARBOR, Florida – Florida’s Laurie Rinker carded a 6-under 67  to take the first-round lead at the fifth annual ISPS Handa Legends Tour Open Championship.

Rinker toured the Island Course at Innisbrook Resort bogey-free at one-under on the front nine and 5-under on the back nine holes, where she recorded a pair of birdies and a pair of eagles. She rolled in a nine-foot putt for eagle on the tenth hole and reached the par-5 15^th green in two shots, converting for eagle with a 20-foot putt.

“Two eagles in one day is pretty exciting,” said Rinker, who also was the first-round leader in last year’s Legends Tour Open. “The two eagles were the difference in getting it a little lower on the scoreboard. I think that’s a first in my career.”

Three shots behind Rinker at 3-under 70 is the trio of England's Trish Johnson, Lorie Kane of Canada and Illinois native Nancy Scranton of Florida. While Johnson is a Legends Tour “rookie,” Kane is the over-50s tour’s season money-leader and a tournament winner in September. Scranton has five Legends Tour career victories.

Johnson birdied both of the par-5s on the front-nine holes, but was unable to convert birdie opportunities on the back nine's three par-5s. 
Trish birdied the long second, short fourth, long sevent and short 17th in halves of 34 (two under) and 36 (one under).

“Tomorrow, I’d like to play the par-5s better,” said Johnson, winner of three LPGA titles and 18 wins on the Ladies European Tour. “If I can shoot four or five under on Sunday, maybe I will have a chance.”

Jean Bartholomew and former Legends Tour Open Championship winner Michele Redman are tied at 2-under 71.

Defending champion Laura Davies (pictured)  from England had a two-over 75 with a mix of one eagle (at the long 10th), three birdies (at the first, short eighth and long 16th) and seven bogeys (long second, fifth, long seventh, ninth, 13th, 14th and 17th in halves of 38 (two over) and 37 (level par).

This weekend’s $200,000 championship will award the winner $30,000. The tournament is the 2013 season-ending event on the official senior tour of the LPGA for players 45 and above.

For complete first-round results, visit: http://leaderboard.thelegendstour.com/?TID=50

Here are the ISPS Handa Legends Tour Open Championship final-round pairings and first round scores (par 73)

  8:00 AM    Judy Dickinson 83 | Elaine Crosby 83

  8:10 AM    Lori West 82 | JoAnne Carner 82

  8:20 AM    Val Skinner 81 | Sherri Turner 81

  8:30 AM    Jan Stephenson 79 | Allison Finney 80

  8:40 AM    Lopez, Nancy 78| Martha Nause 79

  8:50 AM    Shelley Hamlin 78 | Cindy Rarick 78

  9:00 AM    Kathryn Young Robyn 78 | Cathy Johnston-Forbes 78

  9:10 AM    Rosie Jones 77 | Pat Bradley 77

  9:20 AM    Laura Shanahan Rowe 76 | Barb Moxness 76

  9:30 AM    Liselotte Neumann 75 | Laura Davies 75

  9:40 AM    Dina Ammaccapane 75 | Christa Johnson 75

  9:50 AM    Alicia Dibos 74 | Hollis Stacey 74

10:00 AM    Jenny Lidback 74 | Kris Tschetter 74

10:10 AM    Beth Daniel 73 | Cindy Schreyer 74

10:20 AM    Cindy Figg-Currier 73 | Barb Mucha 73

10:30 AM    Danielle Ammaccapane 72 | Donna Andrews 73

10:40 AM    Marilyn Lovander 72 | Jane Crafter 72

10:50 AM    Jean Bartholomew 71 | Michelle Redman 71

11:00 AM    Lorie Kane 70 | Nancy Scranton 70

11:10 AM    Laurie Rinker 67 | Trish Johnson 70