World No. 1 Cristie Kerr grabbed a share of the second-round clubhouse lead at the US Women’s Open on Friday after a birdie binge on her second nine at Oakmont, before storms ended play for the day.
Kerr, who won last month’s LPGA Championship by 12 strokes, shot an even-par 71 to tie fellow-American overnight leader Brittany Lang at one-over 143 before play was suspended after a series of thunderstorms pounded the Pittsburgh suburb.
Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson inched ahead of the co-leaders on a crowded leaderboard by reaching even-par for the championship with a birdie at the first hole, but it was the only one she completed before play was halted.
Five other players, including South Korea’s Kim Song-hee, who has 10 top-10 finishes this season, were at one-over, but none had finished more than two holes.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng shot a 76 for a seven-over total of 149.
Twenty-eight players had not teed off or completed a single hole in the second round as the daunting course and treacherous greens led to rounds that approached six hours.
Kerr, 32, began the day on the 10th and overcame a first nine of three-over 38 that included a double-bogey six at the par-four 15th with three birdies in a row from the fourth.
“You’re going to miss shots out here,” Kerr told reporters. “There is a lot of trouble on this golf course. You know, I managed to stay out of most of it so far.”
Lang followed her opening-round 69 with a 74 in which she slid back after getting to three-under for the tournament through five holes after also beginning at 10. A birdie at the difficult ninth hole ended her day on a positive note.
“It’s a US Open, you’re going to make bogeys,” said the 24-year-old Lang, who is looking for her first LPGA Tour victory. “You just want to stay away from big numbers.”
One stroke behind the pair was Christina Kim of the US, who posted her second successive round of one-over 72 for 144.
At 145 were South Korea’s Amy Yang, who was tied for second overnight after a first-round 70, and American Stacy Lewis, who shot 70 on Friday before the rain came.
Three other players who were tied for second place after the opening round on Thursday fell well off the pace at the challenging Oakmont course, host of 12 previous golf majors.
Park In-bee of South Korea, the 2008 winner, shot a 78 for 148, while South African amateur Kelli Shean followed her 70 with a 79. South Korea’s M.J. Hur soared to an 81.
South Korean amateur Park Sun-gyoung made it look easy at the 141-yard, par-three sixth, when she used an eight-iron to post the first hole-in-one of the championship. Park, 18, however, was seven-over through 16 holes after her opening 80.
Shean, who got into golf through the Ernie Els Fancourt Foundation and has overcome a severe hearing disability said she was too excited to sleep after a stunning round on Thursday.
“I only got to bed almost at two this morning and woke up at four-thirty,” said the University of Arkansas student, whose boyfriend is caddying for her and whose father flew in from Capetown to cheer her on. “I just couldn’t sleep. This whole thing has been so amazing. I’m definitely going home for a nap.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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