Annika Sorenstam off to flying start

Annika Sorenstam got off to a fast start in her bid for her fifth straight victory in the Mizuno Classic, shooting an 8-under 64 on Friday to finish the first round a stroke behind South Korea's Young Kim.

Sorenstam, trying to break Laura Davies' LPGA Tour record for consecutive victories in an event, birdied seven of the first 10 holes and finished the bogey-free round with eight birdies. Davies won the Standard Register Ping from 1994-97.

``I hit my short irons well, I putted well and drove the ball well,'' Sorenstam said. ``I guess when you shoot 8 under, you've got to be doing something right. I'm very happy with my start -- 8 under, I'd take that any day.''

Sorenstam, a nine-stroke winner in each of the last two seasons, is 82 under in her last 13 rounds in the tournament. The Swede has eight LPGA Tour victories this year and also won a European tour event in Sweden. She has 64 career LPGA Tour victories.

Kim, winless in three full seasons on the LPGA Tour, had nine birdies -- six straight on Nos. 5-10 -- in her bogey-free round on the Seta course.

``That's the best score of my career,'' Kim said. ``A lot of the Korean players already have their first wins. I'm still hoping for mine.''

Japan's Shiho Ohyama was three strokes back after a 65, and South Korea's Il Mi Chung and Jeong Jang opened with 66s. Davies, Jennifer Rosales, Sophie Gustafson and Karrie Webb were in a group at 67.

Young Japanese star Ai Miyazato, playing alongside Sorenstam and Webb, shot a 71.

The 78-player field features 43 LPGA Tour players and 35 Japan LPGA players.

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