Defending champion Laura Davies opened her title defence with a superb 5-under par 68 as the four-time Major winner made an immediate assault on the field at the Handa Women’s Australian Open at Commonwealth Golf Club.

Davies, who began with a bogey, recovered immediately with a birdie on the 11^th hole and birdied both the 16^th and 17^th holes to move to 2-under as she made the turn.

A birdie on the par 5 second hole moved her to 3-under and she closed with a birdie on the seventh before rolling in a 30 foot putt for birdie on the ninth to complete her round of 68.

“I putted well last week but I did not hole anything. When you have two eight or nine-footers for par and they go straight in the middle, that's the sort of thing that keeps me going. I had a really short one, a tap-in, on seven,” Davies said.

“I've come here in a confident mood, thinking I am one of the players with a chance to win if I play well and putt well - today is a perfect start,” she added.

Australian Rebecca Flood and Victorian amateur Alison Whitaker, who is based at Duke University in South Carolina, are among a handful of players sharing second place at 3-under par.

World Number 28 Australian Lindsey Wright is tied with World Number 1 amateur Alexis Thompson and Austrian Stefanie Michl at 2-under par following rounds of 71.

15 year old Thompson, who was paired with Karrie Webb and Yani Tseng, said she wasn’t overawed by the experience.

“I felt comfortable, except for my first tee shot when I was nervous but I got over it. It was a great group,” Thompson said.

Ten players are tied at 1-under par including Queensland’s Katherine Hull, American Vicky Hurst and England’s Melissa Reid.

World Number 8 Karrie Webb recovered from three bogies in her opening nine holes to fire an even par 73 following four birdies on the front nine.

World Number 6 Yani Tseng finished at 1-over par while World Number 7 Anna Nordqvist and compatriot Sophie Gustafson finished at 2-over par with rounds of 75.

The second round begins on Friday.

Leading 1st Round Golf Scores (Commonwealth Golf Club, Par 72):-

1 68 -5 Laura Davies (ENG)
2= 70 -3 Giulia Sergas (ITA)
2= 70 Soo-Jin Yang (KOR)
2= 70 Felicity Johnson (ENG)
2= 70 Rebecca Flood (AUS)
2= 70 Jenni Kuosa (FIN)
2= 70 Alison Whitaker (Am) (AUS)
8= 71 -2 Alexis Thompson (Am) (USA)
8= 71 Lindsey Wright (AUS)
8= 71 Stefanie Michl (AUT)
11= 72 -1 Kristie Smith (AUS)
11= 72 Hee-Kyung Seo (KOR)
11= 72 Katherine Hull (AUS)
11= 72 Melissa Reid (ENG)
11= 72 Vicky Hurst (USA)
11= 72 Karine Icher (FRA)
11= 72 Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN)
11= 72 Christel Boeljon (NL)
11= 72 Sarah Oh (AUS)
20= 73 Par Elizabeth Bennett (ENG)
20= 73 Ha-Neul Kim (KOR)
20= 73 Karrie Webb (AUS)
20= 73 Marjet van der Graaff (NL)
20= 73 Kym Larratt (ENG)
20= 73 Lorie Kane (CAN)
20= 73 He-Yong Choi (KOR)
20= 73 Rachel Bailey (AUS)
28= 74 +1 Krystle Caithness (SCO)
28= 74 Yani Tseng (TPE)
28= 74 Joanne Mills (AUS)
28= 74 Lynn Kenny (SCO)
28= 74 Tamara Beckett (AUS)
28= 74 Mina Harigae (USA)