Home leaders in Japan, Meadow eight shots back

Ai Suzuki and Momoko Ueda each carded a seven-under-par 65 in their home country on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the Toto Japan Classic in Shiga, Japan.

Defending champion Ayaka Furue carded a 29 on the front nine and finished with a 6-under 66 to join fellow Japanese golfer Sakura Koiwai in third place at the Seta Golf Club.

Japan's Miyu Yamashita rests two strokes off the pace in fifth place.

Irish golfer Stephanie Meadow finds herself in a tie for 54th on one-over-par.

Finding the fairway proved difficult throughout her round, and it was a double bogey on the 17th that left her well down the field.

Suzuki, who won the event in 2019, recorded seven birdies in a bogey-free round.

"My shots were not consistent in the first four holes then I made a little adjustment in my swing," Suzuki said.

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Ueda, who won the event in both 2007 and 2011, also enjoyed her first round.

"It is just a good first round. I do not think about it very much at this moment. I just want to focus on each day from tomorrow as well," Ueda said. "I changed shaft for driver and also putter. I normally do not change my putter pretty often but it works very well this week."

Furue started fast out of the blocks before she hit the 10th hole.

Top-ranked Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand carded a one-under 71 to finish in a tie for 30th place. She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens.