Davies’ Plan Tests Mettle of Her Game : Golf: She no longer uses drivers on the tee. This move has helped her take a one-stroke lead in the Inamori Classic.

When you can hit a golf ball as far as Laura Davies does, who needs a driver?

Davies, a seventh-year pro from West Byfleet, England, is such a long hitter that when she began the season in a slump, she decided to forsake her driver and tee off with irons. She felt that she could afford to sacrifice a bit of distance in the interest of accuracy.

“I was struggling so much that I had to do something,” she said.

Judging from what the 27-year-old Briton has done in the first two rounds of the Inamori Classic at StoneRidge, her experiment is likely to become permanent. Her four-under-par 68 Friday gave her a 36-hole total of 138 and a one-stroke lead over Tina Barrett, who shot a 69.

Another stroke back is Robin Walton, the only one of three first-round leaders to stay out of trouble Friday. Walton, whose loss of a contact lens and successful search for it made her the big news of opening day, added a 71 to the 69 with which she had shared first place with Caroline Keggi and Martha Foyer.

Meanwhile, Keggi and Foyer reeled to 75s and fell into a six-way tie for 15th place at 144.

Nancy Brown, whose final-round collapses cost her victories in this tournament in both 1989 and 1990, rallied from a 76 with a 68 that matched Daniels for the best round of the tournament to date. She jumped from nowhere into a seven-way tie for seventh at 143.

Nicky LeRoux, Terry Jo Myers and Dawn Coe also moved into contention, reaching the halfway point at 142.

Davies, twice the leading money-winner on the European Women’s Tour, won the US Women’s Open in 1987 before joining the LPGA Tour. That victory made her an automatic American tour member, and she has added three since then. Last year, though, she earned only $64,863, and this year she missed the cut in three of five previous tournaments and won a mere $4,630.

“It finally got to me in Hawaii two weeks ago,” Davies said. “It was just desperation, really. The last time I used a driver, I hit one ball out of bounds, two in the water and one in a bunker. In pro-am events and practice, I could hit my driver down the middle of the fairway. In a tournament, I couldn’t do it.

“Luckily, I’m long enough with my irons that I can get along without a driver. I tee off with two-, three- and four-irons, mostly the three.

“I don’t carry a one-iron because I use three wedges and I want to keep three woods and a driver in my bag in case I need them.”

Davies said she had used a wood for just one shot in each of the first two rounds.

“It was on the 10th both days,” she said. “I teed off with a two-iron and then used my driver. I was 270 yards away, and I thought I could make it, but I was just short both days.”

Davies’ fine round included six birdies and two bogeys, on both of which she missed six-foot putts.

“I hit 13 fairways and I wasn’t in trouble all day,” she said. “It was one of the greatest control rounds I’ve ever played in my life.”

Asked when she had last hit a ball well with a driver, Davies said, “I can’t remember. It would have to be in Florida a month or so ago.”

Then she plans to continue teeing off with irons?

“Oh yes,” she said. “The way I’m playing now, I’d be a mutt to go back to using a driver.”

Davies put together her round on a pair of 34s, and Brown did the same. It was the best round of the young season for both.

“I didn’t hit the ball very well off the tee, but I kept it straight,” Brown said. “I made a couple of good putts, I didn’t make any stupid shots, and the sand wedge was my best friend. It was real good to me.”

Brown, 29, a Tampa resident who has yet to win a tour tournament, was asked if the disasters that struck her here the last two years had presented a psychological barrier.

“No, I have no mixed feelings at all,” she said. “I have nothing but nice memories here. I went on and had a good year last year, and consistency is what I’ve been striving for. I had eight top-10 finishes (and earned $140,988).”

An interviewer suggested that Brown might be better off chasing a leader down the stretch than being chased.

“Well, we’ll see if this works,” she said. “I figure that since I shot my 75 yesterday, I won’t have to shoot it Sunday.”

Barrett, 24, a Baltimore native who scored her one tournament victory as a rookie in 1989, had four birdies and one bogey in her round of 69. She said she owed her new success to the teaching of De De Owens, an instructor for Golf Digest, with whom she started working in December.

“Basically, I changed my whole backswing,” Barrett said. “Now I’m starting to see some results.”

Barrett and Davies will be in the final threesome today, along with Walton, and Barrett recalled the only other time they played together. It was in the Oldsmobile Open last year in Lake Worth, Fla.

“Jane Geddes was with us, and on one hole, I hit a drive and Jane hit a three-wood 20 yards past me. Then Laura hit a two-iron 30 to 40 yards past Jane. She can be intimidating.”

LPGA Notes

The cut for the Inamori Classic fell at 149, an unusually high figure, with 78 golfers remaining in the hunt. Among those missing the cut were Amy Alcott, the sixth-leading money-winner of all time, and Cathy Gerring, runner-up here last year. Alcott shot a 78 Friday for a total of 151, and Gerring completed a 36-hole disaster with a 76 that left her at 156.

Kris Monaghan, the defending champion, rallied from a first-round 75 with a 69 that put her in a 21st-place tie at 144. She said, “I worked on the driving range this morning with my coach, Gordon Severson, and that really helped. I was geared up when I got to the course. After winning this tournament last year, it really has sentimental value for me.”

Only two of the six San Diego-area entrants made the cut. Meg Mallon of Ramona, who scored her first tour victory five weeks ago, squeezed in with a 149 after adding a 74 to her opening 75. Deedee Lasker of San Diego was the other survivor, shooting a 75 for a total of 147. Mallon, whose parents were in the gallery, said, “I don’t feel too bad about my game. I’m looking forward to a good weekend.” Today’s third round will start at 7:15 a.m. The final threesome--leader Laura Davies and top challengers Robin Walton and Tina Barrett--will tee off at 11:30. Prime Ticket will televise both today and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.