Aki Takamura said she was not in perfect shape Friday but the defending champion still managed to shoot the day's best score of 4-under-par 68 to take the lead after the first round of the Resort Trust Ladies golf tournament.
Takamura, who withdrew from last week's Kosaido Ladies Cup because of a sore right shoulder, carded five birdies against a single bogey at Grandee Naruto Golf Club 36 in Tokushima Prefecture.
Kaori Harada also produced five birdies but bogeyed Nos. 4 and 10 to fall a shot behind Takamura at 5-under 69.
Nakajima surges
SHIBATA, Miyagi Pref. (Kyodo) Tsuneyuki Nakajima fired the day's best score of 65 Friday to grab a share of the lead midway through the 100 million yen JCB Classic Sendai golf tournament.
Nakajima carded seven birdies and a bogey at the Omotezao Kokusai Golf Club in Miyagi Prefecture to draw even with overnight co-leader Christian Pena of the United States with a 10-under total of 132.