Klein takes first day lead with 66

Emilee Klein birdied her last three holes to break a logjam atop the leaderboard and take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Wachovia LPGA Classic on Thursday.

Klein shot a 6-under 66, two strokes ahead of Meg Mallon, Carin Koch, Dawn Coe-Jones, Soo-Yun Kang and Sunny Lee.

"This course sets up great for me," Klein said. "It's not that long and I'm not that long. You have to hit it straight and putt well. Those are my strengths."

The leader, looking for her fourth career title, was at even par after nine holes. Klein then got hot, making birdies on 10, 11 and 13 before finishing with three short birdie putts.

Klein's sizzling putter made the difference. She hit only 11 greens in regulation, but needed only 25 putts. She was especially hot on the back nine, where she one-putted seven greens and made birdie putts on Nos. 17 and 18 that gave her the lead going into the second day of the tournament.

The first-round leader made it look easy, but it was anything but simple on the greens of the Berkleigh Country Club course.

"They are very tricky," Klein said. "They are very undulated, very fast, and you have to be in the right part of the green or you have no chance. I made sure I was in the right area all day long and that's a big bonus."

Klein is seeking her first victory since 2001, when she won the Michelob Light Classic. She notched her two other career wins in consecutive weeks in 1996, taking the PING Welch's Championship and the Weetabix Women's British Open.

She is taking nothing for granted.

"It always feels good to play well," Klein said. "But we still have three more rounds and you know I have to keep making birdies. You have to take one round at a time. You don't win the tournament on Thursdays. You win it on Sunday."

The biggest surprise of the first round was Lee, who played on the Korean tour from 1996 to 2001, missed the cut in all 20 events she entered last year and is in search of her first LPGA victory. Lee got to 5 under going to her last hole, the ninth, but a bogey dropped her into the five-way tie for second.

Mallon, with 14 career victories, is the biggest name chasing Klein. Mallon's only bogey was the par-4 seventh and she finished her afternoon with birdies on Nos. 8 and 9 to claim a temporary share of the lead.

Defending champion Se Ri Pak finished with a 70. Pak, already a three-time winner on tour this year, had three birdies in a steady performance.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page