Rain may pose major problem

BIRMINGHAM, ALA.— Inbee Park’s 12th U.S. Women’s Open already stands out for a gloomy reason: the rain-soaked course at Shoal Creek.

The picturesque course in suburban Birmingham had been drenched by nearly five inches of rain this week as of Wednesday afternoon, with the effects of Subtropical Storm Alberto adding onto earlier rains.

“This is probably the wettest conditions I have ever seen in a U.S. Women’s Open,” said Park, a Korean who won in 2008 and 2013. “We just don’t know what’s going to happen.

“Coming into the U.S. Women’s Open, I always try to play the ball with the mud or try to play with like a wet ground condition because we’ve never played lift, clean and place. We just play from wherever it is and however the condition is.”

Practice rounds were cancelled Tuesday and the course closed, other than some lateafternoon trips to the driving range. More rain followed overnight and into Wednesday on the eve of the major championship , when the course finally reopened by early afternoon in time for some of the 156 players to get in practice.

The field will be cut to the low 60 scorers and ties after two rounds. John Bodenhamer, USGA’s senior managing director, said officials didn’t plan to use lift, clean and place for the first time in one of the organization’s championships.

“It remains our intention to play 72 holes and play the ball as it lies,” Bodenhamer said Wednesday.

The LPGA Tour’s Kingsmill Championship two weeks ago was shortened to 54 holes because of rain. The field, which includes 10 past Open champions, arrived in Alabama hoping to avoid a similar fate.

Pernilla Lindberg won the year’s first major at the ANA Inspiration, the 11th consecutive women’s major with a different winner. The LPGA Tour has not had a multiple winner through 13 tournaments this season. Korean Sung Hyun Park won last year at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, by two strokes over amateur Hye-Jin Choi.

Karrie Webb, who won backto-back championships in 2000 and 2001, is playing in her 23rd consecutive Women’s Open. She got a special exemption from the USGA.

“It’ll be the softest U.S. Open course I’ve played,” Webb said.