Teenager Sakura Yokomine bounced back from a missed cut to make a flying start Friday, shooting a 6-under-par 66 to take the early lead at the Resort Trust Ladies.
Yokomine made six birdies in an eight-hole stretch at Grandee Nasu Shirakawa Gold Club on her way to a one-shot lead over defending champion Hiromi Mogi, South Korea's Jeon Mi Jeong, Saiki Fujita and Yukari Baba.
Fellow 19-year-old Ai Miyazato opened with a 1-under 71 in her return from a one-week layoff after winning back-to-back tournaments.
Ho goes low
SHIBATA, Miyagi Pref. (Kyodo) South Korea's S.K. Ho opened up a two-shot lead halfway through the JCB Classic Sendai tournament after shooting a 4-under-par 67 in the second round Friday.
Joint first-round leader Ho carded an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys as he moved to 12-under 130 to put himself in position for his fifth title in Japan and first since winning the Japan PGA Championship three weeks ago.
Katsumune Imai fired the day's low of 64 in a bogey-free round and charged into a tie for second at 10-under 132 with Tomohiro Kondo (66) and overnight co-leader Ryuichi Oda (69).