KEY POINTS:
New Zealand golfers Lynette Brooky and Elizabeth McKinnon are in a promising position after a difficult first day in South Africa saw many of the favourites fall off the pace at the Women's World Cup of Golf.
The New Zealanders were fifth, seven strokes behind but still within
striking distance after Paraguay's Celeste Troche shot a 3-under-par 69 and Julieta Granada a 70 for a four-stroke lead, with a team total of 139.
However, the story of the day was how many of the favourites struggled. Defending champions Sweden (Helen Alfredsson 78 and Carin Koch 79) were 18 shots off the lead and the United States (Juli Inkster and Pat Hurst) were 10 strokes back.
Also well off the pace were England (veterans Laura Davies and Trish Johnson), among the most favoured to win, and the teams of Japan, South Africa, France and Ireland, all 16-21 shots off the lead - a crippling blow to their chances, even after one day.
However, the field is much weaker for this year's event (Inkster is the only world top 10 player) and the Swedes won the title last year with a much more heavyweight combination of Annika Sorenstam and Liselotte Neumann, neither of whom are competing this year.
The Kiwis put on a determined show in the first-day singles, with Brooky, who enjoyed an excellent season in Europe last year, striking problems on the first nine (including a double-bogey on the par-five fifth) before coming home strongly to card a 72. Only five players managed to better that par score.
McKinnon turned a stroke under par but struck trouble on the 10th and 11th before steadying for a 74 - giving a team total of 146.
While they are handily placed, Paraguay's young superstar Granada may be poised to make this tournament her own. Troche and Granada have played together frequently since they were juniors and will take that into the alternate shot format of the second day.
"We've played this format before about four years ago so we are used to each other," Granada said.
In second place, with a team total of 143, are the tough Koreans, Ji Yai Shin (71) and Young Kim (72). Scotland, with Mhairi McKay (69) and Janice Moodie (76), shared third place at 145 with Italy's Giulia Sergas (72) and Veronica Zorzi (73). Australia's Lindsey Wright and European rookie of the year, Nikki Garrett are in sixth place, two shots shy of New Zealand.
The event has US$1.2 million ($1.7 million) prize money with the winners pocketing US$240,000 ($345,180).