Italy and Canada lead after first round

Italy and Canada took the surprise first round lead in the Women's World Cup of Golf at The Links Course at Fancourt Estate on Friday.

They finished the fourballs on seven-under-par 66, two shots clear of four teams -- Japan, Sweden, Australia and the Philippines.

Italy, represented by Diana Luna and Giulia Sergas, recorded nine birdies and a double bogey at the par-73 layout.

After turning in two-under 35 following a seven at the par-five ninth, the Italians bounced back strongly on the second nine, carding five consecutive birdies between the 14th and the 18th.

"I think the double bogey at nine gave us the courage to play more aggressively on the back nine," Luna said. "The course was not playing that long but some of the pin positions were tough, but as a team we just pumped each other up."

The Canadian pair of Lorie Kane and Dawn Coe-Jones enjoyed a bogey-free round, which included seven birdies.

They put their good round down to the efforts of Kane, who recorded all of the birdies, while Coe-Jones weighed in with two important pars.

"We didn't come here to lose although we both want to have fun out there as well," Kane said.

The English duo of Laura Davies and Karen Stupples, who were paired with Sweden, had a slight delay to the start of their round when a spectator took a tumble behind the tee box and broke her left fibia.

England went on to shoot a four-under 69, which leaves them alongside Mexico and the United States team of Meg Mallon and Beth Daniel.

"We just missed everything, it was a horrible day on the greens," Davies said. "We are four-under and I have no idea how we got there.

"Winning this tournament is all about Sunday, if we play two or three under tomorrow then it comes down to the 36 holes we play on Sunday."

The teams play in foursomes on Saturday with singles on Sunday.

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