HAMMOND | With the wind picking up and ominous clouds converging on Hammond's Lost Marsh Golf Course on Friday afternoon, it paid to have an early tee time in the opening round of the Duramed FUTURES Tour's Horseshoe Casino Classic.

California's Lisa Ferrero, Illinois' Sarah Lynn Sargent and Portland's Taya Battistella, the co-leaders at 3-under after 18 holes, all teed off before 10 a.m.

"When I was warming up this morning there really wasn't much wind to contend with," said Noblesville's Ashley Prange. "You definitely had an advantage if you teed off in the morning."

Prange, 26, had an advantage of her own. The fourth-year FUTURES player, regardless of the weather, always seems to play well at Lost Marsh. One of her two career FUTURES victories came at Lost Marsh in 2006, when wind was also a factor.

A second victory at Lost Marsh is certainly within reach after Prange fired a 2-under 70 on Friday.

"Considering we had some pretty serious wind come through for most of our round, I'm extremely happy with a 2-under out there," said Prange, who teed off at 1:40 p.m. but finished before the late lightning delay.

Four of Prange's five birdies came on the back nine, when the wind finally started to subside.

"The second hole the wind started," Prange said, "and for the rest of the round, until about our last four holes, we had a 2-putt wind."

Homewood's Megan Godfrey also battled the wind, which she said picked up around the sixth hole and then started to dissipate on the back nine.

"There was a lot of wind for a while," said Godfrey, who teed off at 1:30 p.m. and shot a 79. "It was definitely strong."

Ironically, Godfrey, who shot a 38 on the front nine and 41 on the back nine, had a harder time without the wind.

"When it got easier, that's when I started struggling," said Godfrey, who will likely have to shoot better today to make the 36-hole cut. "I scrambled a lot on the back but managed to make some putts."

Teen sensation Vicky Hurst, second on the FUTURES money list, is tied with Prange and four others at one stroke off the lead. The 18-year-old Florida resident made four birdies and shot a 4-under on the back nine.

Money leader Mindy Kim is also very much in the mix. Kim, 18, also pulled a recovery act, shooting a 4-under on the back nine to finish at an even 72.