Defending champions The LPGA of Japan won all four of its foursomes matches to take a commanding lead after day one of The Queens presented by Kowa in Nagoya today.

It was a fantastic day for the hosts and 2015 Champions, and LPGA of Japan captain Ritsuko Ryu was clearly delighted with her team’s performance in the breezy conditions at Miyoshi Country Club.

“We were able to win all our matches today. At the start things were very tight in all matches but everyone tried their best and every team had fantastic players. You had to be at your best to get the result and we are playing to our strengths”

In equal second place are the teams from the Ladies European Tour and the Korean LPGA Tour, sitting on 4 points after each winning 2 of their 4 matches, while the ALPG team was shut out losing all four of its matches and will need a strong performance tomorrow to have any chance of qualifying for Sunday’s Championship round.

ALPG Team Captain Rachel Hetherington remained upbeat on a day which saw her team lose three close matches “Congratulations to the JLPGA for a great day today. We’re looking forward to tomorrow. As a team we played fairly well however the JLPGA played very well so we’re looking forward to our combinations tomorrow and making more birdies”

Saturday’s second round will begin at 8:30am.

Friday Foursomes Results

Match 1

Ritsuko Ryu and Kotone Hori (JLPGA) defeated Florentyna Parker and Georgia Hall (LET) 2 and 1

Match 2

Min Sun Kim and Su Yeon Jang (KLPGA) defeated Whitney Hillier and Rachel Hetherington (ALPG) 2 and 1

Match 3

Catriona Matthew and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (LET) defeated Sarah Kemp and Stacey Keating (ALPG) 2 and 1

Match 4

Shiho Oyama and Ai Suzuki (JLPGA) defeated Jin-Young Ko and Jiyai Shin (KLPGA) 1 up

Match 5

Yukari Nishiyama and Megumi Shimokawa (JLPGA) defeated Katherine Kirk and Lauren Hibbert (ALPG) 2 up

Match 6

Nuria Iturrios and Isabelle Boineau (LET) defeated Hee Won Jung and Seon Woo Bae (KLPGA) 2 and 1

Match 7

Erika Kikuchi and Ayaka Watanabe (JLPGA) defeated Linda Wessberg and Becky Morgan (LET) 1 up

Match 8

Hae Rym Kim and Seung Hyun Lee (KLPGA) defeated Su-Hyun Oh and Sarah Jane Smith (ALPG) 4 and 3

Cumulative Scores:

(2 points for a win, 1 point for a halved match)

JLPGA: 8

LET: 4

KLPGA: 4

ALPG: 0

Saturday Four-ball Pairings

Match 1

8.30am Katherine Kirk and Lauren Hibbert (ALPG) versus Catriona Matthew and Georgia Hall (LET)

Match 2

8.42am Jiyai Shin and Min Sun Kim (KLPGA) versus Shiho Oyama and Ai Suzuki (JLPGA)

Match 3

8.54am Ritsuko Ryu and Megumi Shimokawa (JLPGA) versus Sarah Jane Smith and Sarah Kemp (ALPG)

Match 4

9.06am Becky Morgan and Nuria Iturrios (LET) versus Jeongmin Cho and Jin-Young Ko (LPGA)

Match 5

9.18am Yumiko Yoshida and Kotone Hori (JLPGA) versus Florentyna Parker and Isabelle Boineau (LET)

Match 6

9.30am Stacey Keating and Cathryn Bristow (ALPG) versus Hee Won Jung and Seon Woo Bae (KLPGA)

Match 7

9.42am Linda Wessberg and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (LET) versus Su-Hyun Oh and Whitney Hillier (ALPG)

Match 8

9.54am Su Yeon Jang and Seung Hyun Lee (KLPGA) versus Erika Kikuchi and Ayaka Watanabe (JLPGA)

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