-- Unheralded Kazuhiro Takami battled Mother Nature for the spotlight at the season-opening Token Corp. Cup on Thursday, firing a 5-under-par 66 to take the provisional lead in a snow-interrupted first round.
Winless since 1995, Takami rode some red-hot putting on the front nine, holing birdie efforts on the first four greens and another from 30 feet on No. 9 in a bogey-free round at the par-71 Tado Country Club Nagoya layout.
Meanwhile, Tetsuji Hiratsuka, Taiwan's Hsieh Chin-sheng and David Smail of New Zealand reached the clubhouse one shot off the pace as only 66 golfers were able to hole out due to a sudden snowfall.
The remaining 54 players will continue their rounds Friday morning before starting the second round.
Alison Munt shot a 7-under-par 65 in benign morning conditions Thursday in Melbourne to take the first-round Australian Open lead at Yarra Yarra.