Laura Davies struggles on first day

Britain's Laura Davies, the first woman to compete in an Australasian or European men's tour event, said she was tired and nervous after a three-over-par 75 in the opening round of the co-sanctioned ANZ Championship.

The 40-year-old former world number one was joint 124th after recording two birdies and five bogeys on Thursday. She scored minus one for her round in the modified stableford system that rewards attacking golf.

Australia's Nick O'Hern was the first round leader on plus 18 points ahead of Briton John Bickerton on plus 16. Both shot eight-under-par 64 at the Horizons Golf Resort north of Sydney.

Australia's U.S. Amateur champion Nick Flanagan and Briton Steve Webster were equal third on plus 14.

"I just can't play my normal game. I didn't sleep a lot last night to be honest," Davies told a news conference.

"The trouble is, for these guys it's an ordinary event. For them they are just trying to win it and I'm out there under all sorts of pressure."

Davies said she remained hopeful of making the halfway cut.

"If I can cut the rubbish out, make four or five birdies and then you never know what's going to happen," Davies said.

Left-hander O'Hern, who tied for second four points behind Briton Paul Casey in last year's ANZ Championship, fired four birdies and two eagles in his opening round.

"The problem is lately I haven't been playing well and today something clicked," O'Hern said.

"When you get in the groove, you get in an aggressive frame of mind and you go at anything," added the 32-year-old Western Australian, who chipped in for eagles on the 12th and 16th holes, both par-fives.

Players receive eight points for an albatross, five for an eagle, two for a birdie, none for a par, minus one for a bogey and minus three for a multiple bogey.

Davies is the latest female player to compete against her male counterparts.

Fourteen-year-old Michelle Wie narrowly failed to become the first female to make the cut in a men's PGA Tour event at last month's Hawaiian Open.

Sweden's Annika Sorenstam, who won two of last year's four women's majors, became the first female in 58 years to play a PGA Tour event at the Colonial in May 2003.

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