Kasumi Fujii and South Korea's Ku Ok Hee fired course record 5-under-par 67s on Friday to share the lead after the first round of the 50 million yen Toyo Suisan Ladies golf tournament.
Fujii produced six birdies against a lone bogey at Sapporo Kitahiroshima Prince Golf Course in Hokkaido while Ku matched the course-record round of Fujii with seven birdies and a double bogey over the 6,405-yard, par-72 course.
Orie Fujino, who claimed her second victory of the season last week, finished a shot behind with a 68 to tie for third place with Aki Takamura, Chihiro Nakajima and Masaki Maeda. Maeda ran in an eagle on No. 5.
Tateyama, Hur in front
HIGASHI HIROSHIMA, Hiroshima Pref. (Kyodo) Mitsuhiro Tateyama birdied the last two holes of a 3-under-par 69 on Friday and grabbed a share of a one-stroke lead midway through the Juken Sangyo Open Hiroshima golf tournament with South Korea's Hur Suk Ho.
Tateyama, winless in his fifth year on the Japanese tour, carded six birdies against three bogeys at Hiroshima Country Club's Hachihommatsu Course for a 36-hole total of 10-under 134.
Hur, meanwhile, who fired a 64 on Thursday, ran in five birdies against three bogeys for a 70 and his share of the lead over Katsumi Kubo and David Smail of New Zealand.