Lee Lights up Back Nine; Leads Safeway Classic

Jee Young Lee Photo courtesy: lpga.com

PORTLAND - Jee Young Lee, fresh off a season-best fifth-place finish at the CN Canadian Women's Open, took the early lead at the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi with an 8-under-par 64.

Her round included seven-consecutive birdies on holes 10 through 16, which ties a season record set by Juli Inkster at the LPGA Takefuji Classic.

Lee's first-round 64 is her career-low on the LPGA Tour since earning her membership with a victory at the 2005 CJ Nine Bridges Classic Presented by Sports Today last November.

She got off to a slow start on the front nine with a bogey on the par-3, 166-yard second hole, but an eagle on the par-5 number seven and she was 1-under-par at the turn.

Tight fairways at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club forced Lee to rely on her 3-wood and rescue clubs off the tee on her way to her seven back-nine birdies.

Lee enters the tournament ranked fourth on Tour in driving distance, averaging 276.1 yards off the tee.

Reis writes history. Nina Reis tied an LPGA Tour record by carding three eagles all during the opening round of the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi. Her first eagle came just three holes into her round on the par-5, 505-yard 12th holes. She made her presence known by becoming just the 13th player in LPGA Tour history to card back-to-back eagles on the par-5 462-yard number seven (her 16th hole) and on the par-3 number eight with a hole-in-one. She used a pitching wedge from 129 yards to earn the first ace of her LPGA Tour career.

As a 2006 LPGA Tour rookie, Reis became just the second golfer in Tour history—and first since Alice Ritzman accomplished the feat at the 1979 Colgate European Open—to record three eagles in one round. She is also the first Tour rookie in history to make back-to-back eagles. Most recently, Lindsey Wright carded rare back-to-back eagles in the second round of the 2006 Weetabix Women's British Open. Reis enters the second round of play tied for 57th at even par.

Daniels ties career-low round.

Six-year LPGA Tour veteran Jenna Daniels tied her career-low round of 66 (-6) during the first round of the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi. Daniels (31-35=66) carded six birdies in her first nine holes (the course back nine), including four consecutive birdies on holes 14 through 17, against one bogey to make the turn at 31 (-5). She hit another hot streak with birdies on holes four through six and just missed setting a personal-low round when she double-bogeyed the par-4, 407-yard ninth hole. She is tied for second with Christina Kim, who went bogey-free on Friday (32-34), including four-consecutive birdies on holes three through six.

Other players with low-marks for the day included Emily Bastel with a 4-under-par 34-34=68, which is her first round in the 60s this year and one stroke shy of matching her career-low. She is tied for fifth with 10 other players, including rookie Diana Ramage. Ramage's 33-35=68 (-4) round is also her first round in the 60s this season and a career-low.

Prange makes LPGA Tour debut.

Ashley Prange, a member of the Duramed Futures Tour, earned entry into the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi via an exemption when she won Big Break V: Hawaii. With two birdies on the day, Prange finished with a 5-over-par 38-39=77. She has played in 16 events this year on the Duramed Futures Tour and ranks fourth on the Official Money List with two wins.

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