In a US Women's Open dominated by talk of teenagers, one of them wound up atop the leaderboard and hardly anyone noticed.
As 17-year-old Michelle Wie continued her free fall and 12-year-old Alexis Thompson played carefree until it was too dark to continue, US LPGA Tour rookie Angela Park, 18, birdied her first three holes and hung on for a 3-under 68, leaving her in the lead in the first round for the second straight major.
No rain touched the turf at Pine Needles, but play was suspended for over three hours because of lightning in the area, allowing only the morning batch of 78 players to finish the round.
PHOTO: AP
Thompson, the youngest qualifier in US Women's Open history, three-putted the 18th green for a bogey that put her at 3 over par after nine holes, a respectable start considering she played the tougher back nine first. Wie went off early, and fell off the map quickly. She hit only four fairways, matched her highest score in a US Women's Open with an 82.
Wie extended her string to 21 rounds without breaking par.
She wasn't the only one who struggled.
Karrie Webb, a seven-time major champion who won the US Women's Open the last time it was played at Pine Needles in 2001, failed to make a birdie and walked off with an 83, her highest score on the US LPGA Tour.
"I have no excuses. I'm not that kind of player," Webb said. "Do you think I had any idea I'd shoot 83? It was a terrible round, one of the worst days of my career."
Three players were at 2 under at various points on Pine Needles -- In-Bee Park (16 holes), Jee Young Lee (12) and Karine Icher (10).
Park was also tied for the lead at the US LPGA Championship after one round, eventually finishing fifth.
"Maybe this week will be different," said Park, who was born in Brazil to South Korean parents and grew up in California.
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