Canadians Share First-Round Lead In Indiana

HAMMOND, Ind., June 8, 2007 – It was that kind of day. The pair of Canadian co-leaders sat in a Chili’s restaurant having dinner together on Friday night and didn’t even know they shared the lead of the $75,000 United States Steel Golf Classic.

“It was just so unexciting out there today,” said Kim Brozer of Red Deer, Alberta, who carded a one-under-par round of 71 to tie compatriot Angela Buzminski of Oshawa, Ontario. “It wasn’t my best golf, but I didn’t make any big mistakes.”

Scoring was tricky in today’s first round at Lost Marsh Golf Course, located only a few miles from Lake Michigan and 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. Winds blew up to 30 mph from the south this morning, switching to southwest. By afternoon, winds had slowed to 9-14 mph from the north. Players with morning tee times used fairway woods and hybrid clubs for their shots into the adjacent ninth and 18th greens, but by afternoon, the holes were playing downwind and players could hit sand wedges into the greens.

“The wind completely switched, so we definitely caught a break with the afternoon tee times,” added Brozer, whose last win came at the Tour’s 2005 tournament in Syracuse, N.Y.

Buzminski, who played collegiately just down the highway at Indiana University, carded a round with four birdies and three bogeys, and used her experience as a former LPGA Tour member to wisely ride the wind, navigate the multiple environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) and to hold the extremely firm greens. She also heard the voice of swing coach Amy Benz in her head all day, telling her to pay attention to the key details.

“Amy always tells me to control the trajectory of my ball flight, so I hit a lot of low stinger shots today,” said Buzminski, who finished second on the 2001 Duramed FUTURES Tour money list to earn 2002 exempt LPGA Tour status. “I hit mostly hybrids and 3-woods because the fairways were running out enough that I didn’t really have to hit a driver.”

Buzminski actually played without her 7-iron, which she discovered had a loose clubhead on the practice tee. And after having played a close-to-ridiculous, wind-whipped practice round in Thursday’s blast – one that nearly emptied the course – today’s wind didn’t seem so bad by comparison. The Canadian hit 13 greens in regulation and 11 of 13 fairways on the 6,210-yard, water-lined course.

“Yeah, it’s tough to be patient when it’s this windy, but you know it’s not the type of day when players will be shooting lights out,” added Buzminski, a left-hander who owns four career tournament wins on the Duramed FUTURES Tour.

Indeed, it wasn’t. Only eight players shot even-par 72 or better and only the two Canadians posted scores in red numbers.

Tied at level-par 72 were: Song Yi Choi of Seoul, Korea; Yoora Kim of Seoul; Allison Fouch of Grand Rapids, Mich.; Brandi Jackson of Greenville, S.C.; Shayna Miyajima of Maui, Hawaii; and Cortney Erdman of Altadena, Calif. Choi was the only player at even par who played in the morning tee times.

“I shot a 68 today, but scored a 72,” said Fouch, who won earlier this season in Frisco, Texas. “The greens were rock-hard, so there weren’t many opportunities to ‘stick’ your wedges.”

Fouch carded four birdies and four bogeys and was solid from tee to green, with 12 greens and 11 fairways in regulation and 29 putts. In spite of the firm greens and tricky winds, Fouch says “some little ones” got away.

“It’s just more about managing the hazards out here,” she added. “If you can stay out of trouble, you can score well.”

Jackson, who tied for second last week in Lake Geneva, Wis., appeared poised to run away with the day’s low score. The South Carolinian started on the back nine and rolled in four birdies to make the turn at four-under-par 32 – scoring birdie on each of the three par-five holes on the back nine. But Jackson’s second nine rendered the exact opposite results. She carded a four-bogey, no-birdie nine that brought her back to level par.

“Anytime you shoot four-under and finish at even par, you’re disappointed,” she said. “But I’ve got myself in good position.”

Miyajima says she simply wanted to “get the job done” in today’s first round. The second-year pro rolled in 28 putts and finished the day with two birdies and two bogeys for her share of even par.

“I hit the ball short, but I hit it straight,” she said. “And I was pretty steady.”

Like Jackson, Erdman got off to a fast start on the back nine, making the turn at three-under-par 33. But the Californian bogeyed the first three holes on the front nine, thanks to ineffective chipping. A bogey at the seventh and a birdie at the eighth gave her a level-par finish.

“With the wind blowing and greens holding like concrete, you have to club yourself right to have a chance,” said Erdman. “But I’ll take 72 every day.”

And so would the majority of this week’s tournament field.

“I bogeyed the first two holes and really thought I was on my way to shooting 90 or something,” said Brozer, who obviously righted herself in time to grab a share of the lead. “Now, it’s a matter of putting a couple more days together.”

The field of the United States Steel Golf Classic will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after the completion of two rounds.

Saturday’s second round will begin at 8 a.m., off the first and tenth tees. The leaders will tee off at 2:10 p.m. Central Daylight Time.

For scores and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.

Weather: Mostly overcast, turning to partly cloudy with temperatures reaching a high of 79 degrees. Winds at 16 mph, gusting to 30 mph in the morning, but calming in the afternoon to between 9-14 mph, with mostly sunny skies.

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, Duramed FUTURES Tour at (219) 932-1194 and at lisa@duramedfuturestour.com.