Mayumi Inoue finished off the first round in style Friday, shooting a 3-under-par 69 to take a one-shot lead at the end of the opening day of the 60 million yen Promise Ladies golf tournament.
Inoue matched par on the first 13 holes at the Tomisato Golf Club and then hit a purple patch, carding three birdies in the final five, to take control of the top of the leaderboard on a chilly day in Chiba Prefecture.
Last year's second-ranked golfer on the Japan LPGA tour, Kaori Higo, is among a group of five players in second place on 70 in the second tournament of the year. A total of 108 golfers teed off in pursuit of the 10.8 million yen first prize to be awarded Sunday.