(Reuters) - Three days after earning a captain's pick for the Solheim Cup, Brittany Lang proved the value of her selection by seizing a two-shot lead in Thursday's opening round of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic in Prattville, Alabama.
The 30-year-old, chosen as a wildcard along with Paula Creamer by U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster, fired a superb seven-under-par 65 in ideal scoring conditions on the Senator Course at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Lang, who tied for second at the 2009 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, birdied five of her first seven holes before ending the day two ahead of fellow Americans Ryann O'Toole, Tiffany Joh and Sydnee Michaels.