Shin hits the front

Last updated: 2nd November 2012

Jiyai Shin carded a four-under par 68 to take a share of the lead after the first round of the Mizuno Classic.

A two-time winner of the event, the South Korean got off to a strong start at the Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, with a run of three consecutive birdies from the 12th to the 14th after beginning her round on the back nine.

Had it not been for a bogey on her final hole Shin would have had sole honourship of the lead but instead is joined by local hope Ayako Uehara on four-under.

"I hit it really well with my driver and my second shot with a 5-wood and I missed the green. Missed the chip and the putt, but you know that's golf. I have two more rounds, so I just have to do my best. I think one bogey is enough for the week," Shin said of the lone blemish on her card.

"Today the weather was so windy, so I played really hard," she added.

"My strength is accuracy on the fairway and greens but today I missed a lot of the greens. But my chipping was good and my putting was good. I made only one bogey on the last hole, but I'm really happy with my score."

Like Shin, Uehara managed a run of three birdies on the trot on the closing nine to make her move up the leaderboard.

The pair find themselves one shot clear of a group of six players that includes defending champion Momo Ueda.