R1 LEADERBOARD -5 Laura Diaz (USA), Laura Davies (Eng), Natalie Gulbis (USA) -4 Tina Fischer (Ger), Sung Ah Yim (Kor), Paula Creamer (USA), Annika Sorenstam (Swe) -3 Michelle Wie (USA, am), Angela Stanford, Mi Hyun Kim (Kor)

World number one Annika Sorenstam is a shot behind and is on course to win the championship for a third year in a row.

Americans Laura Diaz and Natalie Gulbis joined 41-year-old Davies in a tie for the top after they all achieved five-under-par 67.

"My confidence is up and I'm holing some putts," said Davies.

"I have been playing like this for a very long time, but I haven't been able to hole anything. It gets you down. Putting has always been that way to me," she said.

"You hit 14, 15 greens and shoot level par, and the others are shooting four- and five-under, that's the whole game.

"Obviously, there's a certain Sorenstam out there that's hard to beat. My goal is to wake up Sunday morning with a chance."

Davies has won more than 60 titles worldwide but claimed the last of her 20 US LPGA tour titles in 2001.

She would be welcomed into the LPGA Hall of Fame is she were to win one more major.

Sorenstam is targeting a Grand Slam in 2005 and launched her bid with a bogey-free 68 - her 12th consecutive round in the 60s.

"I thought I played very good today," said Sorenstam.

"Very solid, didn't make a lot of mistakes. I had some good drives, putted really well, good speed control on the greens. The par-fives I wish I would have played a little bit better."

Sorenstam was tied with South Korean Sung Ah Yim, German Tina Fischer and 18-year-old rookie Paula Creamer, who won her first career title at the Sybase Classic in May.