By Dave Shedloski

Edina, Minn. – Thirteen holes into the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open, Lorena Ochoa found herself three over par and without a birdie on her scorecard. The No. 1 player in the world and the reigning British Open champion decided it was time to abandon her "Open" approach.

"You’re just always trying to not be too hard on yourself and just be patient and wait for the birdie opportunities. But sometimes you get tired of just waiting and waiting," Ochoa said.

Lorena Ochoa, on the fourth hole Thursday, couldn't take advantage of benign conditions at Interlachen C.C. (John Mummert/USGA)

The change in tactics paid off. With birdies on three of the last five holes Thursday morning at Interlachen Country Club, Ochoa was able to salvage an even-par 73, a score that not exactly thrilled her given the plethora of players with red numbers attached to their names, but certainly not a championship killer either.

Winner of six LPGA events this year, including the Kraft Nabisco Championship, which gave her back-to-back major victories, Ochoa played in the traditional U.S. Open pairing with defending champion Christie Kerr and U.S. Amateur champion Maria Jose Uribe. Ochoa’s was the highest of the three scores in the group. She realized as the round unfolded that her efforts were putting her farther from the early front-runners, one of which was Uribe, who shot a 69.

"I was just disappointed that it was not me," said Ochoa when asked about the low scoring. "Because it was playing fairly easy in the morning. For sure I could have finished two, three under par and been in a better position. But like I said, I think it will come back, the U.S. Open is always tough and I'm OK where I am, I guess."

She fought back to even par with a late burst, even though she decided to start getting a bit more aggressive after a three-putt bogey at the No. 7. She also bogeyed the ninth and 12^th, but finally the more ambitious game plan paid off.

At the par-3 13^th Ochoa carved a 5-iron into 6 feet and converted. A 9-iron from 128 yards at the 16^th set up another makable 6-footer. At the par-5 18^th she reached in two strokes with a driver and 5-wood and two-putted safely in to get back to level par.

"I'm really happy with my even par," said Ochoa, looking relieved, too. "I think that we all know that anything around par for the U.S. Open is always good. I know there are some low scores today. I'm a little bit disappointed I didn't take advantage of the great conditions, but at the same time I feel that it was three birdies and I think I'm still in it and that's what's important."

Dave Shedloski is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on www.uswomensopen.com.