Intro:

Rebecca Hudson and Sophie Walker share the lead in the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco.

The Britons are five-under-par after the opening round at the Golf de l'Ocean in Agadir.

Script:

The Ladies European Tour's Lalla Meryem Cup got underway at the Golf de l'Ocean in Agadir in Morocco.

Starting at the tenth hole, former champion Laura Davies picked up her first birdie at the 17th.

The Briton carded three more in seven holes after the turn, but bogeyed her last - the ninth - for a three-under-par 68 and a share of fourth place.

She was joined by Charley Hull and Ariya Jutanugarn - amongst others - on three-under.

Briton Hull birdied four holes in succession before the turn on the way to her 68, while Thailand's Jutanugarn was on five-under after seven holes before inconsistency crept in.

The defending champion finished strongly though, rolling in three birdies over the final four holes to cancel out a triple-bogey at the 16th.

Sophie Giquel-Bettan sits alone in third place on four-under-par - one stroke off the lead.

The French golfer was one-under at the halfway stage, but picked up three birdies and went bogey free after the turn for her 67.

The first round lead though is jointly held by Britons Rebecca Hudson and Sophie Walker.

Hudson birded her first two holes and picked up two more after a bogey at the fourth to reach the turn in three-under.

Back-to-back birdies followed later from the 16th as Hudson carded a 66.

Walker had to do it the hard way though, battling the afternoon's windy conditions.

Three birdies across the first five holes lifted Walker up the leaderboard and a dropped shot at the eighth was cancelled out by another birdie at the ninth.

Two more birdies followed on a bogey-free back nine - at the 11th and 14th holes - and Walker joined Hudson atop the leaderboard on five-under-par.