May 26, 2005

CORNING, N.Y. - After leading Duke to its third NCAA Championship less than a week ago, Duke's Brittany Lang carded a one-under-par, 71, on Thursday in the opening round of the LPGA Corning Classic in Corning, N.Y., at the 6,062-Yard, Par 72 Corning Country Club.

Lang sits tied for 16th with the one-under-par ledger and will tee off on Friday at 8:10 a.m., off tee No. 10 along with Sherri Turner and Diane Irvin. Leading the tournament is Sophie Gustafson and Turner with a six-under-par, 66. Lang is the highest amateur in the field after day one and leads former Duke stars Beth Bauer (73) and Jean Bartholomew (76).

A product of McKinney, Texas, Lang opened the day by birding two of her first three holes and made the turn at two-under-par. She began the back nine with a bogey on 10, but had a birdie on hole 17 and closed out her round with a bogey on the par-four No. 18.

Lang is competing in her third career LPGA event as she played in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in August and the Kraft Nabisco Championship in March. She missed the cut in both tournaments.

She is coming off being named National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) First Team All-America as she finished tied for third, individually, at the NCAA Championship and led the Duke Blue Devils to a five-stroke victory at the NCAA Championship.

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