Park takes four-stroke lead at U.S. Women's Open

Park takes four-stroke lead at U.S. Women's Open









Joe Pantorno, The Sports Xchange June 29, 2013 7:42 PMThe SportsXchange


SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- After the first round on Thursday, Inbee Park mentioned that the United States Golf Associationwas "generous" in how it laid out Sebonack Golf Club for Day 1 of the 68th U.S. Women's Open.



While the rain stayed away, the wind swept through, making an already difficult course that much harder.



Park, the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women's Golf Rankings, had everything going to plan until the back nine. That's when things started to go wrong.



"11 and 12 were not bad bogeys. You could make up a couple bogeys," Park said. "But 13 was a little bit disappointing. I think that actually got to me."



"Those three bogeys were tough to handle," Park said. "On 14 I thought I hit it a little too strong, but I was lucky."




"I'm just going to try and do the same things I've done the last three days," Park said. "It will be a big day, but it's just another round of golf."



"I was tired. But it was tough out there all day," Kim said. "I'm not sure it was the wind that got me, but playing conditions were very tough. I had some tough lies, tough breaks."



"I was able to stay focused," Kim said. "I mean, it's the U.S. Open. It's going to test you in every way."



"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous on the first tee," Shadoff said. "But the first couple holes steadied me down."



Shadoff matched Park's par parade with seven in a row to start, but she fell back with four bogeys on the back nine.



So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, shot 73 on her 23rd birthday to follow a 69 and is tied for fourth with Angela Stanford, who followed a second-round 68 with a 74.