Angela Park used her strong putting and iron play to take a one-shot lead in the weather-hit second round of the US Women’s Open golf tournament on Friday.
Park carded a six-under-par 67 and is at six-under-140 for the tournament, which was delayed for over two hours to lightning and rain.
Play was suspended with 36 golfers still on the course. The second round will resume early yesterday followed by the third round.
“Every putt I hit out there was flawless and I read the greens really well,” Park said at Interlachen Country Club.
A 19-year-old Brazilian, Park leads Minea Blomqvist, Inbee Park and Helen Alfredsson by one stroke.
Park, who tied for second at last year’s Open, seems to peak for the championship.
“Knowing that it’s the most prestigious event in women’s golf gives me a lot of confidence and makes me want to focus a little more than regular events, and I think that’s what makes me play well,” she said. “Having a good finish last year gives me that reminder that I can do well.”
Pat Hurst, the joint first-round leader, shot a miserable 78 to plummet five shots off the pace.
Meanwhile, Annika Sorenstam played her way within five shots of the lead thanks to a round of 70 that could have been better had she not missed a four-foot birdie chance at the last hole.
“I’m hitting the ball as good as I can,” said Sorenstam, who is making her final Open appearance before retiring at the end of the year.
The three-time Open champion sounded confident that the leaders would falter over the final two rounds.
World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa has a lot of work to do, seven shots behind after a 74.
Play was halted by approaching thunderstorms as the first sound of thunder was heard only four minutes after the horn sounded.
Competition resumed after a long delay and 12 groups failed to complete the round before darkness.
It was here in the Minneapolis area that one spectator was killed and five others injured by a lightning strike during the 1991 men’s US Open.
■ FRENCH OPEN
AFP, VERSAILLES, FRANCE
Spanish qualifier Pablo Larrazabal and Englishman David Lynn were the surprise halfway leaders at the French Open after second round action on Friday. Larrazabal, one in front after his opening 65 and in the first group out in the morning at the par-71 Golf National, stretched his lead to four before bogeying the 16th and 17th for a 70.
Lynn came in with a 65 leaving him level with the Spaniard on seven under par, two strokes clear of the chasing pack. But Peter Lawrie of Ireland, Colin Montgomerie of Scotland and Lee Westwood of England are just two shots behind in the company of last year’s US Open winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina and Spain’s Ignacio Garrido. Defending champion Graeme Storm of England was a further stroke back.
The unheralded Larrazabal admitted that he had struggled to get going early on having stayed up late the previous night to watch Spain reach the Euro 2008 final by defeating Russia 3-0 in Vienna.
“I started off a little tired because I was watching the match and a little nervous and made a bogey on the first,” he said. “Then I stared to play well and made birdies on the third and the fourth. Then, I don’t know why but I started to hit the ball badly. I don’t know why but I couldn’t keep the ball on the fairway.”
“But my short game was incredible today and made a couple of great saves on the seventh and eighth,” he said. “One under was a great round. To beat the course with that wind and the way that some of the pin positions were was still a great round.”
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