DECATUR, Ill., June 11, 2009 – Finally, Sofie Andersson was smiling. And after a slow start this season, the Swede put up a number for everybody else to chase in today’s first round of the $125,000 Michelob ULTRA Duramed FUTURES Players Championship.

Andersson carded a five-under-par 67 at Hickory Point Golf Club in the morning tee times to take a one-shot lead over the trio of rookie Rebecca Kim of Tigard, Ore., first-day pro Amanda Blumenherst of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Kim Welch of Sacramento, Calif., who all posted scores of 4-under 68 in the opening round of the 25^th annual tournament.

“Last week, I went to dinner in Iowa and there was a guy there who said, ‘Yeah, Swedes are really patient,’ and I said, ‘Not so much,’” laughed Andersson, a third-year professional out of Angelholm, Sweden. “But finally, I’m striking the ball the way I want to strike it.”

Andersson made peace with her driver, needed only 27 putts and played a five-birdie, bogey-free round that looked radically different than the start of her season. In her first five events this year, she missed two of her first four tournament cuts and wondered what had happened to the game that gave her a 2007 tournament win in her rookie season. But Andersson turned the corner last week in Iowa with a tie for seventh and showed up in Illinois with new resolve. And rekindled patience.

“I kept it simple today,” she said. “Fairways and greens.”

Kim and Blumenherst also played in the morning before the afternoon wind kicked up and a 20-minute rain with dark skies threatened to spoil Blumenherst’s pro debut. Kim, who left Duke University early to turn pro, stayed patient through her one-birdie front nine. There were plenty of chances, but the putts would not drop. On the back nine, her putter warmed up and she carded four birdies and one bogey to take the early lead.

“I hit every green on the back nine and I thought that eventually, something would drop,” said Kim, 20, playing in only her second Duramed FUTURES Tour event this year. “They did.”

All eyes were on Blumenherst, the three-time NCAA Player of the Year from Duke, who arrived in Decatur this week as Nike’s newest sponsored rising star. She birdied two holes on her first nine, shaking off a case of first-day nerves after her opening hole. The rest of the round was the kind of golf that made Blumenherst an All-American for the Blue Devils and the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion.

“I was nervous this morning, but I recognized almost everyone here and that gave me a comfort level,” said Blumenherst, who finished the day with five birdies, one bogey, three par saves and a heap of confidence. “My uncle [Bill Blumenherst, her caddie] helped calm my nerves and I was ready to go after I got up and down [for par] on the first hole. It’s great to start out my professional career under par.”

Welch had the low score for the windier afternoon tee times to move into a share of second. Like Andersson, Welch owns one tournament win (in 2008) on the Duramed FUTURES Tour and is itching to add another. Moreover, the talented long hitter from California, who won 11 times while at Washington State University, has had the same slow start as the Swede – missing two cuts and not cracking the top 10 until her fifth tournament last week in Iowa. Today’s bogey-free round featured 14 greens in regulation and 28 putts.

“We had some time off in our schedule, so I spent two weeks clearing my head to start believing in myself again,” said Welch, a current LPGA Tour member who also won the Golf Channel’s “Big Break Ka’anapali” show last year. “This is a long week with 72 holes, so to get off to a good start feels good.”

One shot back in the Tour’s only major championship at 3-under-par 69 are rookie Pornanong Phatlum of Chaiyaphum, Thailand, rookie Jane Chin of Mission Viejo, Calif., Lisa Ferrero of Lodi, Calif., Christi Cano of San Antonio and Nicole Hage of Coral Springs, Fla.

“Last week, I was expecting too much from myself,” said Chin, playing in her second tournament as a professional after an All-American college career at the University of California-Irvine. “I learned that I had to play like I played in college, one shot at a time.”

Phatlum, 19, a four-time winner on the Asian Ladies Golf Tour, said her performance today resembled how she has played since age 16 as a pro in Asia.

“I feel relaxed and I really like this golf course,” said Phatlum, who needed only 27 putts today. “My drives were good, so I didn’t get into trouble. That makes it easier.”

A total of 44 players finished under par after today’s first round – a fact that did not surprise Tour veteran Ferrero.

“This is a shoot-out kind of golf course where a lot of birdies can be made,” said Ferrero, the former LPGA Tour member who is still looking for her first professional win. “There’s a low number out there.”

Friday's second round will begin at 7:50 a.m., off the first and tenth tees, with the afternoon tee times starting at 12:30 p.m.

For scores and more information, visit duramedfuturestour.com.

Weather: Mostly cloudy with temperatures dropping from the mid-70s in the morning to the mid-60s in the afternoon with mid-day rain and afternoon wind between 10-12 mph.

Nicole Hage: To Tweet Or Not To Tweet

Everybody’s talking about “social media” and how such mediums as “Twitter” and “Facebook” have become common forms of communication among the young, as well as the more technologically savvy 40-somethings.

But for Tour member Nicole Hage of Coral Springs, Fla., who started “tweeting” three months ago, the 140-character micro-blogging tool has become the first thing she does every morning and the last thing she does each day before she turns off the lights. She’s not sure how many “tweets” a day she types into her cell phone, but she says it’s “a lot,” even though she’s certain she’s not up to fellow tweeter and Duramed FUTURES Tour alumna Christina Kim’s rate of an estimated 300 tweets per day.

“It’s addicting and becomes like a habit,” said Hage, who is also an LPGA Tour member. “I write what’s on my mind. It’s like a very short, open blog.”

When flying to this week’s tournament in Decatur, Ill., Hage was stuck on a runway tarmac in a plane for five hours while weather delays hampered travel. She estimates that she fired off “about 100” tweets while she was stuck on the plane. Her fellow Twitter followers tweeted back.

“It made the time go by faster,” said Hage. “And they learned that life’s not always so glamorous for us when it comes to travel.”

Hage decided to become a Twitter user when she went on LPGA player Morgan Pressel’s Facebook page and read that Pressel had started tweeting. So Hage signed up for the free social media tool and within the first day, she had 1,000 individuals signed up to tweet with her. She now has 1,400 followers who read Hage’s thoughts and have the option to respond. Hage’s Twitter page is listed on LPGA.com, and fellow tweeters can go to her page and sign up to communicate directly with the second-year professional.

“It’s a good way to talk to fans and it’s a great way to get people involved,” she said. “I have five to six fans in Ohio who are coming out to watch me play next week because we tweeted and they went on the Duramed FUTURES Tour’s website and saw that we have an Ohio tournament.”

Not only has Hage found kinship in the cyber world, but she also has found two new sponsors through her use of Twitter. Zensah, a company that makes workout apparel, contacted her through Twitter and now ships the touring professional fitness gear. New York’s famous Black & White Cookie Company also now ships her individually wrapped cookies with Hage’s picture on the package.

“It’s great because I can hand them out to pro-am partners and my private housing hosts each week at tournaments,” she said. “It’s something different and both of these companies found me because of Twitter.”

So, other than getting cookies and workout clothes, what has been her biggest surprise by adding Twitter to her daily routine?

“I guess that people care what I say,” she said. “They’re interested in me and they want to learn about golf and about our tour.”

And is there a downside?

“Well, yes,” laughed Hage. “My mom follows me on Twitter and this is how she knows what I’m doing all day. Like, sometimes when I’m supposed to be somewhere else and she knows I’m really at the mall.”

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, Duramed FUTURES Tour at (956) 350-6543 and at lisa@duramedfuturestour.com.