Fankhauser Grabs First-Round Lead In Maryland

QUEENSTOWN, Md., Aug. 17, 2007 – Mollie Fankhauser had played the tricky links-style Hunters Oak Golf Club for the last three years, so she had a pretty good idea of how she wanted to tour the course in this year’s $75,000 Hunters Oak Golf Classic.

“After coming here for three years, you kind of figure out the do’s and don’ts,” said Fankhauser of Columbus, Ohio, who carded a five-under-par opening round of 67 today to take the lead. “You’re going to get bad kicks, but you’re also going to get good kicks. Patience is the biggest key.”

Of course, it didn’t hurt that the current LPGA Tour member also rolled in 26 putts today and carded seven birdies to two bogeys. That was no small feat on the 6,339-yard layout that features an assortment of bumps, moguls and pot bunkers and is nestled amid the golden fescue of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

“I worked hard on my putting this week and it was good today,” added the former Ohio State University All-American who won her first Duramed FUTURES Tour title in 2006. “The greens are rolling at a good pace, so I just tried to keep it around the hole.”

Fankhauser’s experience at Hunters Oak paid off on a day when many players walked away frustrated. For some, seemingly perfectly struck drives bounded off fairway mounds and into the tall grass.

“The moguls make it tricky, for sure,” said Sarah Martin of Grosse Ile, Mich., who moved into a tie for second with Yoora Kim of Seoul, Korea at three-under-par 69. “You have all of these blind tee shots. You can hit them on line, but then you have to go see where they land. You can get some funny hops out here.”

Martin hopped right into the lead this morning with her 69. Like Fankhauser, the former Michigan State University All-American needed only 26 putts. But her round also featured a few more peaks and valleys, with six birdies, one bogey and a double-bogey on the par-five seventh hole, where she three-putted from 20 feet.

“Other than that hole, I played solid,” said Martin, still looking for her first professional win.

Kim was nursing a sore shoulder that she thinks was injured by carrying a heavy book bag in college four years ago at home in Korea. But the achy shoulder also offered a mixed blessing on a course where a premium is place on driving accuracy.

“I’m not hitting it far, but I’m in the fairway,” said Kim, who hit 14 greens and 13 fairways in regulation. “I’m trying not to think about how much my shoulder hurts.”

Kim started on the back nine and rattled off three consecutive birdies on holes 12, 13 and 14, but gave up a bogey on the 16th when she missed a short chip and didn’t get up and down for par. She got that shot back on the sixth hole when she rolled in a 30-footer for birdie and a share of the early lead.

A group of eight players carded rounds of 70 (-2), including third-ranked Seo-Jae Lee of Seoul, Korea and fourth-ranked Liz Janangelo of West Hartford, Conn. – both two-time winners this season – as well as Rachel Bailey of Faulconbridge, Australia, Annie Young of Highland, Utah, 2007 tournament winner Janell Howland of Boise, Idaho, Jin Hyun Kim of Seoul, rookie Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz., and one-time season winner Violeta Retamoza of Aguascalientes, Mexico.

“This course looks hard, but if I hit my tee shot straight, it’s a lot easier,” said Lee, also a 2007 LPGA Tour member, who carded four birdies and two bogeys today. “This course looks like an LPGA course with narrow fairways and many bunkers.”

Janangelo’s round was simple and balanced with no bogeys, one three-foot birdie on the second hole and two putts from 12 feet for birdie on the par-five 12th hole. The former Duke University All-American hit 16 greens and had numerous birdie chances today.

“Sometimes I do get frustrated, but not today,” she said. “The putts just didn’t drop. All you can do is to take advantage of your opportunities.”

Top-ranked Emily Bastel was one of eight players tied at one-under-par 71 today. The former Michigan State player hit 16 greens in regulation, but recorded 33 putts with two three-putt greens.

“It’s pretty difficult to get it in the right spot on the green if you’re hitting from the heather,” said Bastel, of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. “This course is visually challenging because there are not a lot of things to aim at. You have to be very precise and it’s easy to second-guess yourself.”

But at least 28 players guessed right today, shooting even-par 72 or better.

The second round of this week’s 54-hole event will begin Saturday at 8:00 a.m., off the first and tenth tees. The leaders will tee off at 2:09 p.m.

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

Weather: Overcast, humid and partly cloudy. High temperature of 91 degrees with winds around 10 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph.

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, Duramed FUTURES Tour at (410) 827-3260 and at lisa@duramedfuturestour.com.