NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — Beth Bader shot an 8-under-par 64 at the Safeway Classic on Friday to take a one-stroke lead into the second round at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.
Bader's low score came early in the day before the winds picked up and rain moved in over the course west of Portland. Anna Nordqvist and Seon Hwa Lee each had a 65.
Stacy Prammanasudh (Conway) shot a 6-under 66 with eight birdies and two bogeys. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a par 72 with four birdies and four bogeys. Audra Burks (Little Rock) shot a 6-over 78 with two birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey.
Bader's round was her best since 2007. It was her best start to a tournament since the seasonopening event in 2003.
Defending champion Cristie Kerr had a 69, playing in a starstudded group with Michelle Wie and Lorena Ochoa.
Kerr misplayed a chip shot from the rough on the 18th green to bogey her last hole of the day. Just before Kerr's chip, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds roared overhead. The aerial squadron was performing at the Oregon Air Show in Hillsboro, Ore., nearby.
Ochoa finished with a 70, while Wie birdied the final hole to end with a 68.
Wie, playing a full schedule on the tour for the first time this year, made a putt of some 30 feet for her birdie. She raised her arms and hopped when it dropped.
Wie and Kerr were on the U.S. Solheim Cup team that defeated Europe last weekend at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
Ten of the team's 12 players were at the Safeway Classic. Paula Creamer withdrew before Friday's first round because of illness.
She said it was a lingering bug she likely caught while playing in the team competition. She missed two tournaments earlier this year because of a stomach ailment.
Fellow teammate Juli Inkster withdrew earlier in the week.
The Safeway Classic was played for the previous 19 years at Columbia Edgewater Country Club near Portland International Airport.
Pumpkin Ridge, which opened in 2009, is made up of the private Witch Hollow course and the public Ghost Greek Course, about a 20-minute drive west of Portland. The club has hosted numerous events, including the 1996 U.S. Amateur, won by Tiger Woods, and the 2003 U.S. Women's Open.
The Safeway Classic was being played on Ghost Creek, a par-72, 6,457-yard course with three consecutive par-5 holes.
Karrie Webb had a hole in one with a 4-iron on the 184-yard No. 5 hole Friday.
CHAMPIONS O'Meara grabs lead
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. - Mark O'Meara eagled the 18th hole to finish a round of 6-under-par 66 and take a two-shot lead over a jumbled field afterthe first round of the Boeing Classic.
It's been 11 years since O'Meara hosted a trophy in a PGA event, when he won the Masters and British Open in 1998 and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the world. But it's been an official victory drought for O'Meara since - he won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2004 and a handful of specialty events since he hoisted the claret jug at Royal Birkdale 11 years ago.
O'Meara was 5 under after making birdie on No. 12, but fell back into the pack after a bogey on 16. On the uphill, 498-yard par-5 finishing hole - that ranked the easiest hole in last year's tournament - O'Meara knocked a 3-iron from about 205 yards to 17 feet. He then curled in the eagle putt, one of only two golfers to eagle the closing hole.
Australian Mark McNulty shot a 6-under 30 on his first nine holes - the back nine. But McNulty bogeyed his 13th hole. He bogeyed his last - the par-3 ninth - when his tee shot on the 207-yard hole with water fronting the green found one of the greenside bunkers. Joining McNulty at 68 were Allen Doyle, Loren Roberts and John Jacobs, who eagled No. 8.
PGA EUROPEAN Lawrie leads by two
GLENEAGLES, Scotland - Paul Lawrie shot a second consecutive bogey-free round, a 3-under-par 69 for an 8-under136 and a two-stroke lead after the second round at the Johnnie Walker Championship.
Jonathan Caldwell (66) of Northern Ireland, Maarten Lafeber (67) of the Netherlands and Daniel Vancsik (69) of Argentina are tied for second.
NATIONWIDE Boros shoots 64
MOSCOW, Pa. - Guy Boros shot a 6-under-par 64 for a 9-under 131 and a two-stroke lead over Kevin Chappell (66) and Henrik Bjornstad (67) after the second round in the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic.
Brenden Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 2-under 68 with three birdies and a bogey for a 4-under 136. Ron Whittaker (Little Rock) shot a 4-under 66 with four birdies for a 3-under 137. Scott Gardiner (Farmington) shot a 2-under 68 with three birdies and a bogey for a 1-over 141. Drew Laning (Little Rock) shot a 4-over 74 with four bogeys for a 6-over 146.
Sports, Pages 23 on 08/29/2009