Fri Aug 22 23:22:29 2008

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Angela Park tops crowded leaderboard in Oregon

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Portland, OR (Sports Network) - Angela Park fired a six-under-par 66 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Safeway Classic.

Park leads by one over six players and in all, there are 22 players within three of her lead at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

Helen Alfredsson posted a five-under 67 and she was joined in second place by Sophie Gustafson, Kelli Kuehne, Karen Stupples, Hee Young Park and Song-Hee Kim.

Women's World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa is part of a large group tied for 13th at three-under 69. She had two bogeys and two birdies on the front nine and another bogey on the 10th. However, Ochoa rallied with four birdies in her last five holes.

Angela Park, the reigning LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year, tapped in a three-foot birdie putt on the third and nearly holed her second to the par-four fourth. She kicked in a one-foot birdie putt there and made it three in a row as she sank a 15-footer for birdie at four.

After a par on the sixth, Park's third to the par-five seventh stopped three feet from the hole. She converted that birdie try and made the turn at minus- four.

Park, who turns 20-years-old on Monday, drained a 12-footer for birdie on the 10th before sinking another 12-footer for birdie at the 13th. She parred out for the lead.

"It went very smoothly," said Park of her round. "No bogeys out there, so that was a great start. It was great because that's where I want to be coming into the first day, somewhere near that."

Alfredsson played the back nine first and carded eight pars a one birdie on her opening nine. She collected four birdies on the front nine in a bogey-free round.

Gustafson also had a bogey-free round with two birdies on the back nine and three on the front side.

Kuehne stumbled out of the gate with a double-bogey on the first and a bogey on the third. She carded eight birdies over her final 13 holes to grab a share of second.

"I got off to a rocky start," Kuehne said. "After doubling the first hole and bogeying the third hole, my caddie Nick just said let's regroup. Then I started driving some good shots."

Stupples birdied three of the first six holes, but dropped shots on 17 and on the third. After back-to-back birdies from the fifth moved her to minus-three, Stupples eagled the seventh to end at minus-five.

Hee Young Park bogeyed the third, but birdied four of the next six holes. After dropping a shot on the 11th, Park birdied three of the next six holes to get to five-under.

Kim tripped to a bogey on the 13th, but she ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch from the 17th. Kim joined the crowd in second place with a birdie on the par-five seventh.

Hee-Won Han heads the group at four-under-par 68. She was joined there by Liz Janangelo, Stephanie Louden, Becky Morgan and Katie Futcher.

Among others tied with Ochoa in 13th are Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen and Catriona Matthew.