Angela Park tees off on the 10th hole. Park leads the U.S. Women's Open after the first round. Only half the field finished because of a long rain delay Thursday in Southern Pines, N.C.

Southern Pines, N.C. ? The serenity of Pine Needles was interrupted by one wild day at the U.S. Women’s Open.

In a tournament dominated by talk of teenagers, one of them wound up atop the leaderboard, and hardly anyone noticed. That would be 18-year-old Angela Park, who played early and played great on her way to a 3-under 68. Only half of the 156-player field completed the first round because of a 31â2-hour delay that didn’t produce a drop of rain.

Alexis Thompson, the youngest qualifier in Women’s Open history, played well beyond her 12 years until darkness forced her to come inside, a typical occurrence for most kids having a blast on their summer vacation.

Lorena Ochoa went from celebrating one of the most amazing shots of her career, holing out from a bunker with a 5-wood, to stunning bad luck when her approach bounced between two bleachers and out-of-bounds.

Karrie Webb, the winner at Pine Needles the last time the Women’s Open was in town, couldn’t make a birdie and wound up with an 83, the worst score of her Hall-of-Fame career.

About the only thing that wasn’t much of a surprise was Michelle Wie, who continued her free fall with an 82, the second time in three rounds she has failed to break 80, this one matching her highest score in the Women’s Open.

“I know I’m a better player than this,” she said.

Thompson, who just finished the sixth grade while being home-schooled in south Florida, split the middle of the fairway with her opening tee shots and finished the back nine with four pars, four bogeys and her first birdie in a Women’s Open. There were only about 200 people following her after the delay, but they were vocal.

And the kid had a respectable start, considering she played the tougher back nine first.

“I’m pretty happy – I’ll just go into tomorrow and try to make my pars,” Thompson said. The first round resumes at 6:30 a.m. today.

Three players were at 2 under at various points on Pine Needles – In-Bee Park (16 holes), Jee Young Lee (12) and Karine Icher (10).

Defending champion Annika Sorenstam was at even par through 13 holes.

Starting times for the second round have been pushed back about two hours, making it uncertain it will finish before dark.

That might be the only way Wie makes it to the weekend.

The 17-year-old player from Hawaii teed off early and fell off the map quickly. She hit only four fairways, four greens and offered an assessment that was difficult to grasp.

“It’s just a very fine line between shooting 69 and shooting what I shot today,” said Wie, who has gone 21 rounds without breaking par.

She wasn’t the only one who struggled.

Webb is a seven-time major champion who was considered one of the favorites, given her history at Pine Needles, the way she was striking the ball and her runner-up finish three weeks ago in the LPGA Championship.

“I have no excuses. I’m not that kind of player,” Webb said. “Do you think I had any idea I’d shoot 83? It was a terrible round, one of the worst days of my career.”

Park continues to thrive at the start of majors. If her lead holds up, it will be the second straight major in which she was atop the leaderboard after one round. She was in a three-way tie at the LPGA Championship, where she wound up fifth.

“Maybe this week will be different,” said Park, who was born in Brazil to South Korean parents and grew up in California.

Park played before hardly any gallery, most of them watching Wie self-destruct. Time and again, the Hawaii teenager posed on a shot, only to have the club slide through her hands as she realized the shot was off its mark.

“I know I’m a better player than this,” Wie said.