Ireland's Rebecca Codd is hoping that smooth greens and an early morning start will ignite her challenge in the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open at The Carya in Belek.

The Carlow native, who was credited with an early albatross that turned out to be “just” a birdie in a two over 75, found herself 10 shots behind an outstanding Melissa Reid, who shot her lowest score as a professional to take the first round lead in Antalya.

The event is being run from Sunday to Wednesday in a new move designed to give the Ladies European Tour more live TV exposure.

But Codd was frustrated by the snail’s pace of play which will have to improve with live TV pictures being beamed around the world from today.

While she’s not being to hard on herself given that it’s just her fourth start of a stop-start season, she’s hoping to push on today on a course that rewards good ball striking and confident putters.

"Tee to green I hit the ball pretty well but I didn't putt as well as I'd like and my pace putting was disappointing," said Rebecca, who was put down for an albatross two at her fifth hole, the 14th. "I couldn't get the pace of the greens down at all.

"Two days ago they were really slow. But didn't play the Pro-Am and just putted the practice green and it seemed the same. But today were a lot quicker without being lightning and I just couldn't get feel at all.  The roll wasn't too bad considering we were in the second last group out so hopefully smoother greens will help tomorrow." 

Reid had no such problems as she knocked in eight birdies and 10 pars.

The 2010 tournament champion at nearby National Golf Club, she was playing her first round on The Carya course as she parred the first four holes before going on to pick up eight birdies, including five on the back nine.

“I hadn’t seen the course, so perhaps that’s the way forward. I walked about 12 holes yesterday to look at a few tee shots but I played about the last seven holes completely blind,” said Reid, 27, from Derby in England.

He score bettered by one stroke the clubhouse lead previously held by her Solheim Cup partner, Dame Laura Davies.

“Just before I went out I saw Laura birdie her last hole so I knew that she’d had a good round, which was nice to see. I knew that there was a low score out there so I tried to keep in touch with her, so to shoot eight under was nice,” said Reid, who two months ago finished second at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco.

Earlier in the day, Davies produced some vintage form as she fired eight birdies and dropped just one stroke on the first hole.

The four-time major winner, who is soon to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, said: “I played well, hit 18 greens. I had a problem down the first when I moved a twig and my ball moved, but I then hit the shot onto the green, so I figured I hit 18 greens today, which is always a good feeling. I drove it well, hit two dodgy tee shots and putted nicely. It was the first time in I don’t know how long.”

The current Ladies European Tour order of merit leader Gwladys Nocera carded a five under par round of 68 to end the day in third position. The recent Lalla Meryem Cup winner fired four birdies, an eagle and a bogey as she played with a painful ankle injury.

She said: “I ripped a tendon four weeks ago falling off a golf cart, so I had a cast and I had crutches. It’s not healed yet but I’m working on it and the physio from the French Federation is here working on it, so that’s why I have a really nice strap that allows me to play. It’s painful and that’s why I didn’t play China, because I couldn’t walk, so it’s better.

“I’m really pleased with today. I’m not physically 100 per cent so I’m trying to play smart and not to do anything stupid, not to be too greedy.”

In joint fourth place are Noora Tamminen, Rebecca Artis and Caroline Martens on four under par.

Turkish Airlines Ladies Open

65 - Melissa Reid (ENG)

66 - Laura Davies (ENG)

68 - Gwladys Nocera (FRA)

69 - Noora Tamminen (FIN) , Rebecca Artis (AUS) , Caroline Martens (NOR)

70 - Carly Booth (SCO) , Isabelle Boineau (FRA) , Chloe Leurquin (BEL) , Malene Jorgensen (DEN)

71 - Camilla Lennarth (SWE) , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Lauren Taylor (ENG) , Liz Young (ENG) , Lucie Andre (FRA) , Amy Boulden (WAL)

72 - Kylie Walker (SCO) , Sally Watson (SCO) , Melissa Eaton (RSA) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Georgia Hall (ENG) , Nanna Koerstz Madsen (DNK) , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Pamela Pretswell (SCO) , Lynn Carlsson (SWE) , Lien Willems (BEL) , Beth Allen (USA) , Laura Murray (SCO) , Trish Johnson (ENG)

73 - Mireia Prat (ESP) , Minea Blomqvist (FIN) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Steffi Kirchmayr (GER) , Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) , Fabienne In-albon (SWI) , Maria Balikoeva (RUS) , Amber Ratcliffe (ENG) , Holly Clyburn (ENG) , Virginia Espejo (ESP) , Martyna Mierzwa (POL) , Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Lina Boqvist (SWE) , Vikki Laing (SCO)

74 - Whitney Hillier (AUS) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Connie Chen (RSA) , Csilla Lajtai-rozsa (HUN) , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) , Maha Haddioui (MAR) , Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) , Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP) , Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) , Miriam Nagl (BRA) , Hannah Ralph (ENG)

75 - Rebecca Codd (IRL) , Tonje Daffinrud (NOR) , Monique Smit (RSA) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Ssu-Chia Cheng (TPE) , Nicole Garcia (RSA) , Margherita Rigon (ITA) , Linda Henriksson (FIN) , Alex Peters (ENG) , Diana Luna (ITA) , Elisa Serramia (ESP) , Emily Kristine Pedersen (DNK) , Christine Wolf (AUT)

76 - Bree Arthur (AUS) , Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Caroline Rominger (SWI) , Nina Muehl (AUT) , Anne Van Dam (NLD) , Louise Friberg (SWE) , Rebecca Sorensen (SWE) , Georgina Simpson (ENG) , Daisy Nielsen (DEN) , Melanie Maetzler (SWI) , Laura Jansone (LVA) , Charlotte Ellis (ENG) , Louise Stahle (SWE) , Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER)

77 - Sarah-Jane Boyd (ENG) , Stefania Croce (ITA) , Anjelika Hammar (SWE) , Heather Macrae (SCO) , Jade Schaeffer (FRA) , Leigh Whittaker (GER) , Linnea Strom (SWE) , Sharmila Nicollet (IND) , Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Stacey Keating (AUS) , Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Klara Spilkova (CZE) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) , Anais Maggetti (SWI) , Mathilda Cappeliez (FRA)

78 - Paula Hurtado (COL) , Marika Voss (FIN) , Sophie Gustafson (SWE) , Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Linda Wessberg (SWE) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Emma Westin (SWE) , Louise Larsson (SWE) , Emma Goddard (ENG) , Emma Cabrera-bello (ESP) , Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP) , Eleanor Givens (ENG)

79 - Carin Koch (SWE) , Anna Christina Kindgren (COL) , Nina Holleder (GER) , Carmen Alonso (ESP)

80 - Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Josephine Janson (SWE) , Isabella Ramsay (SWE) , Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN)

81 - Laurette Maritz (RSA) , Celine Herbin (FRA) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL)

82 - Stephanie Na (AUS)

83 - Elina Nummenpaa (FIN)

86 - Sena Ersoy (TUR) , Henni Zuel (ENG)

WD - Begum Yilmaz (TUR), Sezgi Kilic (TUR)