By Larry Fine
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - World number one Cristie Kerr grabbed a share of the second-round clubhouse lead at the U.S. Women's Open Friday after a birdie binge on her second nine at Oakmont before storms ended play for the day.
Kerr, who won last month's LPGA Championship by 12 strokes, shot a level-par 71 to tie fellow-American overnight leader Brittany Lang at one-over-par 143 before play was suspended after a series of thunderstorms pounded the Pittsburgh suburb.
Five other players, including South Korean Kim Song-hee who has 10 top-10 finishes this season, were at one over par but none had finished more than two holes.
The afternoon half of the field will return to Oakmont Country Club at 7:30 a.m. (1130 GMT) Saturday to complete the second round. Officials hope to begin the third round in threesomes going off both tees starting around 2:30 p.m.
Twenty-eight players had not teed off or completed a single hole in the second round as the daunting course and treacherous greens led to rounds that approached six hours.
Kerr, 32, began the day on the 10th and overcame a first nine of three-over 38 that included a double-bogey six at the par-four 15th with three birdies in a row from the fourth.
"You're going to miss shots out here," Kerr told reporters. "There is a lot of trouble on this golf course. You know, I managed to stay out of most of it so far."
Lang followed her opening-round 69 with a 74 in which she slid back after getting to three-under for the tournament through five holes after also beginning at 10. A birdie at the difficult ninth hole ended her day on a positive note.
"It's a U.S. Open, you're going to make bogeys," said the 24-year-old Lang, who is looking for her first LPGA Tour victory. "You just want to stay away from big numbers."
One stroke behind the pair was American Christina Kim, who posted her second successive round of one-over-par 72 for 144.
At 145 were South Korean Amy Yang, who was tied for second overnight after a first-round 70, and American Stacy Lewis who shot 70 Friday before the rain came.
Three other players who were tied for second place after the opening round Thursday fell well off the pace at the challenging Oakmont course, host of 12 previous golf majors.
Park In-bee of South Korea, the 2008 winner, shot a 78 for 148, while South African amateur Kelli Shean followed her 70 with a 79, and South Korean M.J. Hur soared to an 81.
South Korean amateur Park Sun-gyoung made it look easy at the 141-yard, par-three sixth, when she used an eight-iron to post the first hole-in-one of the championship. Park, 18, however, was seven-over through 16 holes after her opening 80.
Shean, who got into golf through the Ernie Els Fancourt Foundation and has overcome a severe hearing disability, said she was too excited to sleep after a stunning round Thursday.
"I only got to bed almost at 2 this morning and woke up at 4:30," said the University of Arkansas student, whose boyfriend is caddying for her and whose father had flown here from Capetown to cheer her on.
"I just couldn't sleep. This whole thing has been so amazing," she added. "I'm definitely going home for a nap."
(Editing by Frank Pingue and Steve Ginsburg)
