By Larry Fine
LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - American Jane Park joined Karrie Webb and Marina Alex at the top of the U.S. Women's Open leaderboard on Friday when she posted a four-under 66 after completing the weather-interrupted first round.
Park birdied the par-four 14th, her first hole back in Friday's resumption of play at Lancaster Country Club, and parred the rest of the way in for a share of a one-shot lead over South Koreans Amy Yang and Choi Na-yeon of South Korea.
Choi, the 2012 champion, reached four under par when she birdied her first hole in the resumption of play but gave the stroke right back with a bogey at 17.
Fifty-five players returned early Friday morning to finish their opening rounds after a violent thunderstorm blew through the tree-lined, hilly course in the heart of Pennsylvania's Amish area.
Eight players were bunched in a tie for sixth at two-under-par 68, including world number one Park In-bee of South Korea, American Morgan Pressel and 16-year-old Chinese amateur He Mu-ni.
Sunny skies were forecast for the rest of the day and officials were confident the second round would be completed as scheduled.