CHONAN, Chiba Pref. (Kyodo) Hiromi Mogi overcame a shaky start to shoot a 3-under-par 69 and take the lead after the first round of the Itoen Ladies on Friday. Seeking her first title of the season, Mogi opened with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 1 and 2 at Great Island Club but recovered with a pair of birdies to make the turn at even par. Mogi went bogey-free on the back nine, adding birdies on the 13th, 15th and 16th before making par on her final two holes to establish a one-stroke advantage over a quintet of golfers, including Australian Nikki Campbell and Junko Omote. Yuri Fudo, who is aiming to reclaim the top spot in the Japan LPGA money rankings in the absence of Ai Miyazato, shot a 71. Miyazato withdrew from the event earlier with a sore toe.
