Laura Davies and Georgia Hall set the pace for Britain on golf's opening day

Britain's pair Laura Davies and Georgia Hall sent out a message to the rest of the field on the first day at Gleneagles.

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Britain's pre-tournament favourites Laura Davies and Georgia Hall sent out a powerful message to the rest of the field on the opening day of the women's team event at the Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course on Wednesday.

The duo were first to tee off in the tournament and the first to return to the clubhouse after their 5&4 victory over Spain's Noemi Jimenez and Silvia Banon in Group A of the round robin.

The two recently-crowned Champions proved to be the ideal partnership, with the experienced Davies leading them home with some inspired golf.

New US Senior Open Champion Davies carded six birdies to win four of the holes and British Open Champion Hall weighed in with three birdies.

"Nine birdies and five pars - that's enough to win most matches," Davies said."They played well but we didn't give them too many chances. It's only one match and we have to keep up that standard."

The two French teams dominated group B. Celia Herbin and Astrid Vayson De Pradenne were winners by 4&3 against Germany's Olivia Cowan and Karolin Lampert, and Justine Dreher and Manon Molle defeated Sweden's Johanna Gustavsson and Julia Engstrom 2&1. The France pairings now face each other on Wednesday.

The only problem for Dreher and Molle was the changeable Gleneagles weather. "It's strange wearing so many layers in August," said Dreher. "For the last six months we have been wearing shirts and shorts." 

Britain also came through the first day powerfully in groups C and D. Meghan MacLaren and Michele Thomson won 5&4 against Iceland's Olafia Kristinsdottir and Valdis Thora Jonsdottir, and Catriona Matther and Holly Clyburn beat Sweden's Emma Nilsson and Lina Bqqvist 3&2.