Fri Jul 4 22:38:17 2008

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Lee leads as weather strikes again in Arkansas

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Rogers, AR (Sports Network) - Seon Hwa Lee fired an eight-under 64 on Friday and leads by two strokes with the first round of the NW Arkansas Championship suspended due to darkness.

There was a five-hour weather delay at the start of the round at Pinnacle Country Club. Last year, this event was shortened to 18 holes after inclement weather effected play all weekend.

Play was suspended due to darkness at 9:20 p.m. (et). The round will resume Saturday morning at 7:45 a.m.

H.J. Choi carded a six-under 66 and is alone in second place. Ai Miyazato and Eun-Hee Ji both posted 67s and are tied for third. They were joined there by Kristy McPherson, who was five-under through 13 holes before play was halted for the day.

Lee drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the third and followed with a 15-footer for birdie on four. Her tee shot stopped three feet from the hole at the par- three sixth.

She kicked that putt in and made it two in row as she birdied the seventh to move to minus-four.

At the next two par-fives, Nos. 13 and 14, Lee made a three-footer for birdie and then 10-foot birdie putt. She followed with birdies on 15 and 16 to get to eight-under.

Lee missed the green at the par-three 17th and that led to her only bogey on the day. She atoned for that mistake with a three-foot birdie putt at the last.

"I hit it pretty good today," said Lee. "I didn't miss any fairways and played some pretty solid iron shots. My irons were really good today."

Choi played the back nine first and she collected her first birdie on the par- four 12th. She wrapped birdies at 15 and 17 around a bogey on the 16th.

The 23 year old rolled in a six-foot birdie putt at 18 to make the turn at minus-three.

Choi birdied the first and second to get within three of the lead. She sank an eight-footer for birdie at the fifth to move to six-under. Choi parred her final four holes to finish two back.

Soo-Yun Kang carded a four-under 68 and is tied for sixth. Jee Young Lee is also minus-four, but she has only played 11 holes.

Stacy Lewis won this event last year when it was shortened to 18 holes so she wasn't given an official victory. After sharing third at the U.S. Women's Open last week, Lewis carded a three-under 69 and is part of a group tied for eighth place.

Newly crowned U.S. Women's Open champ InBee Park is one stroke back at minus- two.