Park’s Place

Angela Park Holds Lead In Weather-Delayed First Round

Southern Pines, N.C. – Angela Park has shown she can handle a sprint. The question now is, can she handle a marathon?

After shooting a 3-under-par 68 in Thursday’s first round of the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open, the 18-year-old from Brazil not only gave her a two-stroke lead among those who finished play, but she also posted before a three-hour, 35-minute weather delay.

The delay affected all 78 players in the afternoon wave, including defending champion Annika Sorenstam, as none were able to complete their rounds at Pine Needles prior to play being called due to darkness at 8:25 p.m. The first round will resume at 7:30 a.m. Friday and second-round starting times have been pushed back two hours and 15 minutes.

In-Bee Park, on the 14th hole Thursday, positioned herself one stroke behind leader Angela Park before play was suspended. (Fred Vuich/USGA)

Three players still on the course were within a stroke of Park’s lead: Koreans In-Bee Park (through 16 holes) and Jee Young Lee (through 12), and France’s Karine Icher (through 10). In-Bee won the 2002 U.S. Girls’ Junior and was the runner-up in that event in 2003 and ’05 before turning pro in 2006.

"Condition-wise it was really - they didn't get a lot of rain, so it didn't get wet or anything, so it was pretty much the same condition out there on the back nine," said In-Bee, who spent the delay eating lunch and talking to friends.

Twelve-year-old Alexis Thompson was hanging in, registering a 3-over-par 39 through her first nine.

"The first tee I was a little nervous," said Thompson. "After that one, I was smooth sailing."

The group at 1-under 70 included Koreans Shi Hyun Ahn, Ji-Yai Shin and Joo Mi Kim, Amy Hung of Chinese Taipei, American Charlotte Mayorkas and 2004 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Julieta Granada of Paraguay. Korean Mi Hyun Kim was one under through 13 holes.

World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa was in a group at even-par 71 with Brittany Lincicome, Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel, who was a 13-year-old amateur participant the last time the Women’s Open was held at Pine Needles.

"Par is a good score today," said Kerr, who played in her first Women’s Open here in 1996 as amateur.

Ochoa eagled the par-4 14th hole to get within a stroke of Park, but gave both strokes back with a double-bogey 6 at 17, hitting her second shot from 194 yards in the right rough through the bleachers and out of bounds.

"I hit it hard with no spin," said Ochoa.

Ochoa didn’t seem frazzled even after misreading a potential birdie putt on No. 18.

"My idea is to be in a good position on Sunday," she said.

Good position has not been a problem for Park, especially at the outset of competitions. Three times this season, the LPGA Tour rookie has owned the 18-hole lead, including the McDonald’s LPGA Championship three weeks ago. She just hasn’t been able to put on a Mariano Rivera-type performance to finish the job.

Exhibit A: At the Fields Open in Hawaii, the second event on the LPGA schedule, Park opened with a 66 and wound up tied for third.

Exhibit B: At the Ginn Tribute in Orlando, Fla., she had another opening-round 66, only to shoot 76 the final day and finish sixth.

Example C: Then at the LPGA Championship, the year’s second major, she posted a 5-under 67 in round one, yet placed fifth.

On Thursday, Park opened with three consecutive birdies and added a fourth at the eighth hole before settling into par mode over the next eight holes. Only a blocked tee shot at the 440-yard 17th hole – she found the pine straw right of the fairway and a missed 35-foot par putt – kept Park from a bogey-free round. Still, she registered just 27 putts on the challenging, convex-shaped greens. And the 68 beat her previous best Women’s Open score by seven strokes in 2005 at Cherry Hills.

"I don’t want to say this about myself, but I kind of take the first round when I play well – I take it [for] granted," said Park, bidding to become the youngest winner of a professional major (Pressel is 3 months and 2 days older) . "I don’t appreciate it as much as I should.

"I guess coming into [Friday] I’ll be more prepared and more relaxed and more confident about my game."

At USGA amateur competitions, Park occasionally suffered the same circumstances. She was the co-medalist at the 2005 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, but lost in the second round. At the U.S. Girls’ Junior that same summer, she was the No. 2 qualifier for match play and lost to Kristina Wong in the first round. In Park’s defense, she did advance to the semifinals of the ’05 Women’s Amateur, losing to eventual champion Morgan Pressel.

Ten months later, Park was playing for pay on the Futures Tour (finished eighth on money list) just prior to her high school graduation in Torrance, Calif. By the fall, she had earned a 2007 LPGA Tour card through Qualifying School.

"I don’t regret it at all," said Park of the decision to bypass college.

In 14 LPGA tournaments, she’s earned $347,762 and accomplished something even more unfathomable: no missed cuts. And including the U.S. Women’s Open, Park has posted a sub-70 first-round score in seven of 15 events.

"I just try to be consistent out there," said Park, whose mother still has a business back in Brazil and occasionally comes to the U.S. to see her play. "That was one of my goals coming into this year, actually, not missing any cuts at all."

And the other goals?

"Getting Rookie of the Year and a win," she said.

The rookie honor appears to be a lock. With three more good rounds at Pine Needles, Park can finish off the final goal.