Klein Struggles in Quest for Three in a Row

Emilee Klein of Studio City got off to a slow start in her quest for a third consecutive LPGA victory, shooting a one-over-par 73 on Friday in the first round of the Star Bank Classic at the Country Club of the North in Dayton, Ohio.

Klein, 22, who won the Women’s British Open by seven strokes last Sunday, shot a 35 on the back nine after a 38 to finish six strokes behind leader Pat Hurst, who had a 67.

Amy Alcott of Santa Monica, who tied for second in the Women’s British Open and is one victory away from 30 and automatic qualification in the LPGA Hall of Fame, had a 70..

Track and Field

Dan Murphy, boys’ coach at Thousand Oaks High for the past three years, has resigned.

Murphy will continue to teach English and coach the freshman basketball team at the school.

“I got to coach some great kids,” Murphy said. “But I just thought it was time to do some other things and spend more time with my family.

“Being a head coach required an awful lot of time.”

Under Murphy, Thousand Oaks tied Newbury Park for the Marmonte League title last season, won it outright in 1995 and was second behind Camarillo in ’94.

Football

Lafayette Bailey, one of the region’s top two-sport athletes for Littlerock High during the 1995-96 school year, will attend Antelope Valley College.

Bailey rushed for 1,397 yards and scored 20 touchdowns in football as a senior.

In track, he placed second in the long jump in the Southern Section Masters Meet after a fourth-place finish in the section Division I championships.

He has career bests of 22 feet 9 inches in the long jump, 10.91 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.30 in the 200.

Basketball

Craig Davis, a former Hueneme High and Pepperdine guard, and Calvin Curry, a former Ventura College forward, will be playing in the Chinese National Basketball Assn.’s inaugural season. Each CNBA team can carry four American players.

Cal State Northridge guard-forward Josh Willis, who is from Crescenta Valley High, is academically ineligible.

Willis averaged 5.7 points and 1.8 rebounds for the Matadors in 26 games last season.

Contributing: Mike Hiserman, John Ortega, Bryan Rodgers.