For second straight year, Park leads stormy Women's Open second round

6/28/2008

EDINA, Minn. (AP) -- Halfway across the country, this U.S. Women's Open must look familiar to Angela Park. She was in the lead after 36 holes of a tournament again delayed by storms, and Cristie Kerr was moving quickly up the leaderboard.

Park found a smooth putting stroke to go with her pretty swing Friday at Interlachen, posting a 6-under 67 well before the lightning and rain forced a 2-hour delay.

Just like last year at Pine Needles, the lead held up after play resumed.
Helen Alfredsson bogeyed the 16th hole as the sun dipped behind the trees, settling for a 71 that left her one shot behind, along with Minea Blomqvist of Finland and In-Bee Park, who each had 69.

The threat might be Kerr, the defending champion, looking confident as ever on a course that feels like home. She was within one shot of the lead and twice threatened with birdies until a fly distracted her on the ninth tee and she hit into the woods, leading to bogey.

Even so, she shot a 3-under 70 and was just two shots behind.

The 36 players who failed to finish before darkness included Michelle Wie, who tried to rally from an 81 but made bogeys she couldn't afford after the rain delay. She was 2 over for the round, 10 over for the tournament, and had to return Saturday to play one hole.

The cut was assured of being 4-over 150 because of the 10-stroke rule at the U.S. Women's Open.

The 19-year-old Angela Park made sure of that with a burst of birdies early in her round, a 5-wood into 30 feet for an eagle on No. 2, and only one bogey on an otherwise flawless day.

She was at 6-under 140, the second straight year she held the 36-hole lead in the biggest event in women's golf.

Ochoa went 13 holes without a birdie in her first round of 73. Determined to get off to a good start, she went 12 holes Friday without a birdie and was closer to the cut than the lead when storm clouds gathered, lightning flashed and she was given time to cool off.

The three-time Open champion took 33 putts for the second straight day, and the final hole might have been the most aggravating. After a 3-wood over the water and a corner of the bunker that rolled to within 5 feet, her eagle putt never touched the hole.

Leaderboard – Round 2:

1.  Angela Park                       73 67 140 - 6
2.  Helen Alfredsson                70 71 141 - 5
     Inbee Park                        72 69 141 - 5
     Minea Blomqvist                 72 69 141 - 5
5.  Candie Kung                      72 70 142 - 4
     Cristie Kerr                        72 70 142 - 4
     Jeong Jang                        73 69 142 - 4
     Paula Creamer                   70 72 142 - 4
9.  Louise Friberg                     69 74 143 - 3
     Ji Young Oh                        67 76 143 - 3
     Ai Miyazato                         71 72 143 - 3
     Momoko Ueda                    72 71 143 - 3
     Stacy Lewis                         73 70 143 - 3
     Teresa Lu                           71 72 143 - 3
     Maria Jose Uribe (am.)         69 74 143 - 3
     Ji-Yai Shin                           69 74 143 - 3

60. Jessica Korda (am.)             72 78 150 +4

Source: AP, LPGA Tour