BELMONT, Mich. – Lexi Thompson birdied six of the first eight holes and wanted more.

“I wanted to make more birdies on the back nine, but it is what it is,” she said.

Thompson did add one more birdie Friday for a season-best 7-under 64 and a share of the Meijer LPGA Classic lead with Alison Lee and Lizette Salas.

“I hit it in the rough on a few holes on the back nine where I needed to hit it in the fairway to be able to make birdies,” Thompson said. “But I’m very happy with my round, don’t get me wrong.”

The 20-year-old Thompson matched Lee and Salas at 9-under 133 at Blythefield Country Club.

Lee, the 20-year-old former UCLA player in her first season on the tour, had a 66, and playing partner Salas, a former University of Southern California star, shot a 69.

Kris Tamulis closed with a bogey on the par-4 ninth to drop into a tie for fourth at 8 under with Gerina Piller, Jaye Marie Green, Wei-Ling Hsu and Q Baek. Tamulis shot 68, Piller 65, Baek 68, and Green and Hsu 69.

Top-ranked Inbee Park, a playoff loser last year in the inaugural event, was tied for 18th at 4 under after a 68. She has a tour-high three victories this season.

Thompson, winless since taking the then-Kraft Nabisco last year for her first major title, took advantage of early windless scoring conditions. Thompson birdied Nos. 1-2, 4-6, 8 and 15.

“The greens were rolling really well out there early in the morning, so it was nice,” Thompson said. “Playing in the morning without the wind and the greens are a little bit softer in the morning so it’s easier to just control the way your irons are going to bounce out into the green. It was a lot easier to control than (Thursday) afternoon.”

Lee, who is still working on her degree at UCLA, said she was inspired by Salas shooting 64 in the first round.

“We kind of pushed each other through the day,” Lee said. “I was fired up today going into the round and wanted to shoot a low number. It’s great to be in contention. I mean, this is my rookie year and I’m still learning.”

Salas said playing in the afternoon in the second round was a sharp contrast to the first round.

“The wind definitely kicked in this afternoon and you have to be really precise to your targets,” she said.

She said she hasn’t been on top of the leaderboard in a while, and she is excited.

“We have 36 more to go and I’m going to try to be patient and stay calm and just be committed to every shot,” she said.

Park said being five shots off the lead was fine, but it is more important to have good results this week to give her confidence going into the Women’s British Open next week.

“The most important thing is just work on my game so it’s ready to go next week,” she said. “You know, make sure that your ball striking, your swing feels good, make sure you’re feeling good on the greens. This is the last chance to try it on. I’m trying to get my game to the level I want. It’s not quite there, but trying to get there.”

BELMONT, Mich. – Lizette Salas built on her strong finish two weeks ago in the U.S. Women’s Open in the first round of the Meijer LPGA Classic.

The 26-year-old former Southern California player shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 on Thursday at Blythefield Country Club for a share of the first-round lead with Katherine Kirk and Dori Carter.

In the Women’s Open in Pennsylvania, Salas finished with a 68 at difficult Lancaster to tie for 14th – her best finish since tying for 11th on Phoenix in March.

“My finish at the (U.S. Women’s Open) kind of gave me that extra boost of confidence to really go low and that’s what I did today,” Salas said.

Salas eagled the 478-yard, par-5 11th, hitting a 3-wood approach to 10 feet.

“I hit every green and didn’t three-putt, few mistakes, well, basically zero mistakes today,” Salas said. “Hopefully, I didn’t just jinx myself. I’m just going to stay positive and just keep confident this whole week.”

She played the back nine in 5-under 30, closing with a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th.

“The rough is pretty gnarly, but I kept the ball in the fairway,” Salas said. “The eagle on 11 got me going and really helped me target the pins. I stayed aggressive with my putting and it is really coming along.”

She won the 2014 Kingsmill Championship for her lone tour title.

Jaye Marie Green and rookie Wei-Ling Hsu were a shot back in the second-year tournament.

Michigan-born Kris Tamulis was at 66 along with Q Baek, Ilhee Lee and Jane Rah.

Top-ranked Inbee Park, who lost to Miram Lee in a playoff last year, had three front-nine bogeys in a 70. Chella Choi, the Marathon Classic winner Sunday in Sylvania, Ohio, opened with a 71.

Salas, Kirk, Carter and Green played in the morning in little wind and perfect scoring conditions. Hsu had the best round in the afternoon after the wind kicked up. Park and Choi also played in the afternoon.

Kirk, a two-time tour winner, had her best round of the year. The Australian had two bogeys, but made seven birdies and also had an eagle on 11 after reaching the green in two.

“We had perfect conditions this morning, hardly any wind and then greens were very receptive early on,” she said. “I’m really happy. I haven’t posted a round like that in a while so it feels good to finally get the rust off and shoot a low one.”

Carter, winless on the tour, tied her career best with the 64. She had three straight birdies in a front-nine 5-under 31 and said on-going work with Gail Peterson is paying off.

“We’ve put a lot of work in, even here this week, and today the putts finally fell,” Carter said. “You know, I’m comfortable. I’m getting more experience and I like being here. I want to continue to stay on the top of the leaderboard. The more I can get this experience, the better.”

Miram Lee withdrew after the pro-am Wednesday, citing a left wrist injury that she said will also keep her out of the Women’s British Open next week.

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Ji Leon Choi promised his daughter he would caddie for her until she won the LPGA Tour.

Chella Choi isn’t so sure she’s ready to break up the team after winning the Marathon Classic on Sunday.

“My father wants to retire because we promise, but I don’t know,” Choi said. “We will talk later.”

The 24-year-old South Korean player broke through in her 157th start on the tour, beating compatriot Ha Na Jang with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

“You know, first time win is hard,” Choi said. “I cannot believe it. Hopefully, this is a turning point for me. … It’s been a long time, seven years. So, I was really, really excited and happy.”

In the playoff on the par-5 18th, Choi chipped onto the green from 87 yards and two-putted from 25 yards for the par – holing a 1-footer for the victory. Jang bogeyed the hole after hitting approach long into high rough.

Choi closed with a 5-under 66 to match Jang at 14-under 270. Jang, the leader after each of the first three round, finished with a 68.

Jang didn’t speak to the media after the round.

Choi opened with a 73, then moved into contention with rounds of 66 and 65.

“I made just made one birdie on Thursday,” Choi said.

Her father was a police officer before joining her on the course.

“I work with my father eight years and somebody say like that’s why I don’t win, just for my caddie,” Choi said. “So I’m so exciting with my father.”

Choi earned $225,000. She will jump from 40th to 25th in the world ranking.

Second-ranked Lydia Ko, the winner last year, had a 67 to tie for second with Shanshan Feng at 13 under. Fend also shot 67.

“I’m happy that I could give it a run for it to defend the title,” Ko said. “Seeing how average my first day score was, to be top five or whatever, I think it’s a good finish for the week.

“I played really solid the front nine, and that’s all I could really do. I know it would have been great if I could continue that on the back nine, but it just wasn’t going.”

Playing a group in front of the leaders, Ko was looking for a birdie on No. 18 to reach 14 under, but made a par.

“I hit a great 3-wood off the tee and miss-hit it on the second shot,” Ko said. “I guess it’s not the worst place to be, but it’s not the best place to be either.”

Top-ranked Inbee Park tied for eighth at 10 under after a 70 while the top Canadian in the field was Alena Sharp who finished tied for 22nd.

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Ha Na Jang parred the last five holes Saturday for a 2-under 69, leaving her a stroke ahead with one round left in the LPGA Tour’s rain-plagued Marathon Classic.

The South Korean player had an 11-under 202 total at Highland Meadows. Fighting back pain, she opened with rounds of 66 and 67 and has only two bogeys over the first 54 holes.

Play was delayed for 1 hour, 59 minutes in the afternoon. Delays Friday forced 54 players to complete the second round Saturday morning.

Seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, Jang said her target is to finish at 15 under.

“I don’t want to think about any players. Just myself, confidence, concentration and play,” Jang said.

South Korea’s Q Baek was second. She birdied the final hole for a 68.

“Overall I missed a lot of putts today,” Baek said. “But I was just happy with the way I played.”

Jang and Baek have played against each other numerous times over 10 years on the Korean tour.

“We have played a lot of events against each other,” Baek said through a translator, adding that she and Jang played together on the South Korean national team. “We have a pretty good friendship. I am just one shot behind Ha Na. The main focus is to keep my temper down, and try to stay calm and play as best golf as I can and stay positive.”

Defending champion Lydia Ko, ranked No. 2 in the world, was 9 under after a 67 in a group that included top-ranked Inbee Park. Ko also was second, two shots off the lead last year.

“It’s great to be back,” Ko said. “I don’t mind the position I’m in right now. It’s great to return to a course where you’ve played well. There is a little bit of expectation and a lot more people recognize you and you kind of get that support. So there are pluses and minuses.”

Ko said the putts started dropping for her in the second and third rounds.

“I’ve been hitting it pretty solid so I’ve been trying to give myself plenty of opportunities,” Ko said.

Park also had a 67.

“It was a long day,” Park said. “But no bogeys today, which is really good. I feel like I have played pretty solid the last couple of days. I still feel I left a few out there. I am satisfied where I am.”

Chella Choi, Austin Ernst and Shanshan Feng were tied with Ko and Park.

Choi had a 65, the best round of the day. She started her round with a bogey, but then made seven birdies, including three of the last four holes.

“Actually, my shot is good, but I don’t make that (many putts),” Choi said. “So just one birdie Thursday. But yesterday and today my shots really good and made more putts.”

Ernst, who had five birdies, finished her second round with a double bogey for a 66, but was able to wide out that memory and play a solid third round.

“I just said it was one bad swing and then – you know, just made a bad swing and a bad putt,” Ernst said about her double bogey. “So really over the last two days that’s the only blemish on the card.

“I am hitting it well. I just need to make a few putts.”

Feng shot a 68.

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was tied for 23rd at 5 under after a 69.

Alena Sharp shot a 4-under 67 today and is currently T8 but only 3 shots back of Ha Na Jang’s lead heading into tomorrow’s final round.

Alena Sharp, Jenny Suh and Jaye Marie Green earned spots in the Women’s British Open. Sarah Kemp and Dewi Claire Schreefel locked up spots Friday.

SYLVANIA, Ohio — South Korea’s Ha Na Jang shot a 4-under 67 on Friday to increase her lead to two strokes in the suspended second round of the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic.

Jang had a 9-under 133 total at Highland Meadows. Winless in 23 career tour events, she capped her bogey-free round with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth.

South Korea’s Q Baek was second after a 67.

The start of the round was delayed 2 1/2 hours because of rain and lightning, and play was suspended for the day at 8 p.m. because of more lightning. Fifty-four players were unable to complete the round.

Jang has fought through back problems that had her thinking about withdrawing before the first round.

“I think not much practice makes it easier to playing golf,” Jang said. “Not tired. Just feels really, really good. Body is a little tight, but my swing is very good.”

She had a one-hour massage after Thursday’s round and planned to do the same thing Friday.

Her success during the first two rounds has helped Jang’s confidence. She went back to South Korea to play in two tournaments and that also helped improve her confidence.

“I have a little bit more confidence in Korea,” Jang said. “It’s just a little different feel than one month ago. Every day practicing, change my swing and then everything change really good. I have 100 percent, 200 percent confidence right now.”

Baek had five birdies, making four in a row on Nos. 18-3, and one bogey.

“(I) missed a lot of birdie opportunities earlier, but I was able to sink a couple putts a bit of a distance from the hole,” Baek said. “I really gained confidence from there and made four birdies in a row.”

Baek said her experience last weekend at the U.S. Women’s Open has helped.

“I played last week at the U.S. Open with great players,” Baek said. “I learned a lot from them. I had a good experience there. I have something that I am really focusing on this week, so going into the weekend, I am really, really looking forward to it.”

Baek said she was not bothered by the morning delay, adding that she enjoyed the additional sleep.

Shanshan Feng, Sarah Kemp and Dewi Claire Schreefel were tied for third at 6 under. Feng shot a 67, Kemp had a 69, and Schreefel a 68.

Kemp, an Australian, bogeyed her final hole for the second straight round.

“It’s nice to put another round in the 60s,” Kemp said. “I’ll take 69 around here any day. With the conditions this morning, it played a lot longer.”

Being able to advance to weekend play is exciting for Kemp, who has missed the cuts in seven of 12 starts this season.

“This is great. I’m going to enjoy it because it hasn’t happened very much so it must mean I’m doing something good,” Kemp said. “I haven’t been in this position very much so everything that happens from now on it a total learning experience.”

Moriya Jutanugarn, Caroline Masson, Angela Stanford and Gerina Piller were 5 under. Jutanugarn shot a 66, Masson and Stanford had two holes left, and Piller had three to go.

Canadian Alena Sharp is 4-under for the tournament was tied for 10th after second round of play.

Top-ranked Inbee Park and defending champion Lydia Ko, ranked second, were 4 under after 14 holes. Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was tied for 18th at 3 under after a 68.

“Score-wise it was obviously better,” Lewis said. “Still I think, just knowing me, I think I could have done better. I could have made a few more putts. But all it all, it really was a better day. Hopefully, it leads to some better things.”

SYLVANIA, Ohio — South Korea’s Ha Na Jang birdied the par-5 18th for a 5-under 66 and a one-stroke lead Thursday after the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic.

She chipped to 6 feet to set up the final birdie after hitting a 3-wood approach to the front edge.

“Just really good shot,” Jang said about the chip with a 52-degree wedge.

“I feel happy today because in the morning … I was very tired in my bed, so no practice today. I don’t think about the score, so really good play today.”

Winless in 23 career tour events, Jang birdied four of the first five holes on the back nine at Highland Meadows, dropped a stroke on the par-4 15th and rallied with the closing birdie.

“I like the course,” Jang said. “Very narrow fairways and small greens. Very close to Korean golf course, so I think it’s very easy for my feel. … Really good golf course.”

She took a simple approach on the course softened by a rainy month.

“Just always thinking about fairway and greens,” Jang said. “Very easy thinking.”

Sarah Kemp, Nannette Hill, Wei-Ling Hsu and Lee-Anne Pace were tied for second.

Kemp bogeyed her final hole, the par-4 ninth. The Australian has missed the cuts in seven of the 12 tournaments this season.

“My caddie and I were actually talking before I teed off that I had not had a 4 or 5 under in a while,” Kemp said. “That was the plan today, so it was nice to pull it off. It’s confidence. I’ve had an inconsistent year, some good and some bad. Hopefully, for the rest of the three days I can keep it up.”

Kemp’s approach on No. 9 landed in the rough to the left of the green. She hit to the fringe, but came back with a chip that hit the flagstick and she was able to make her putt for bogey.

“It was a funny lie,” Kemp said. “I had a bad lie for the first chip, where I shouldn’t have been in the first place.”

Hill had three straight birdies on Nos. 6-8 to reach 4 under and parred the final 10 holes.

“I feel really good,” Hill said. “All season I feel like I’ve been very consistent and building off good stuff. So, came to this course on Sunday and felt like it fit my eye really well.”

Top-ranked Inbee Park, a three-time winner this season, birdied her final hole for a 70.

“I hit a lot of greens, but not really close,” Park said. “Irons just weren’t as pure as I thought it would be. Missed couple putts here and there. Only two birdies and one bogey. Not a bad start.”

Defending champion Lydia Ko, ranked No. 2 in the world, opened with a 71.

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis also had a 71.

Canadian Alena Sharp is T6 after an opening round of 68. Jennifer Kirby posted a score of 74, while Rebecca Lee-Bentham had a round of 80.

With a final round of 4-under par 66 this past Sunday, Brooke Henderson managed to climb up the U.S. Women’s Open leaderboard and finish in a tie for fifth place. She began the day in a tie for 18^th but made a charge recording five birdies on the card and a single bogey.

Her performance at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pa., earned her $141, 396 in prize money and a spot in next year’s U.S. Women’s Open to be hosted by CordeValle in San Jose, Calif. It also pushed her closer to the possibility of having full status on the LPGA Tour in 2016.

The Smiths Falls, Ont., product also recorded a T5 finish earlier this season at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with a 10-under par score earning her $132,725.

These two T5 finishes in major championships have significantly contributed to the 17-year-olds 2015 LPGA earnings, currently sitting just below $459, 000.

This places her in a good position to earn status on the LPGA Tour next season. If Henderson’s earnings land within the equivalent of the top 40 on the LPGA money list, she will earn her 2016 tour card. In 2014, the 40^th-place finisher on the LPGA Tour earned $447, 658. With her T5 finish this past weekend she has surpassed this number to date. Although this is a fluctuating number, Henderson appears to be right on track.

Brooke Henderson’s season continues today as she attempts to Monday qualify for the LPGA’s Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I. If she does not make it into the field, she will compete in the Symetra Tour’s Toyota Danielle Downey Classic in Rochester, N.Y.

Among the remaining tournaments on the LPGA calendar, Henderson has exemptions into both the Ricoh Women’s British Open and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open where she will look to solidify her 2016 LPGA Tour card.

LANCASTER, Pa. – In Gee Chun’s modest goal for her first U.S. Women’s Open was to enjoy every new experience.

Boy, did she enjoy herself.

The 20-year-old South Korean stormed from behind, posting birdies on four of the last seven holes to rally for an unlikely one-stroke victory Sunday.

Chun shot a 4-under 66 in the final round and finished at 8 under, becoming the first player to win her U.S. Open debut since Birdie Kim in 2005.

“Everything I faced and I did here was completely new,” Chun said. “So all I did was enjoy the new stuff … I enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. Even though I’m Korean, here American fans supported me a lot and they gave a lot of claps. That has put me in the great rhythm of play, and I enjoyed that tournament rhythm.”

A bright smile rarely left Chun’s face, and that was part of the plan.

“Without thinking any negatively, all I could do was just enjoy the game,” she said. “That’s what has brought me to the U.S. Open win, I believe.”

The win was Chun’s fifth of the year after three in Korea and one in Japan. She credited her experience in four LPGA Tour events earlier this season for her success in the other events and preparing her for the rigors of the U.S. Open.

“With all those four wins this year, I got a lot of confidence coming into this tournament,” Chun said. “And that’s why I could enjoy every moment of the tournament.”

Third-round leader Amy Yang struggled in the middle of her round and then pulled within one by going eagle-birdie at Nos. 16 and 17. But she bogeyed the 18th and fell a stroke short.

Playing in the final group on the last day of the championship for the third time in four years, Yang squandered a three-stroke lead and settled for a 1-over 71 and second at 273.

Two-time champion and top-ranked Inbee Park (67) overcame putting woes and rallied late, tying for third with Stacy Lewis (70) at 5-under 275. Lewis was three back at the start of the round.

Defending champion Michelle Wie battled hip and leg injuries and limped in with an even-par 70, placing 11th at 2-under 278.

As Yang and Lewis drew most of the focus as the last grouping, Chun went about picking up strokes on the leaders. At 4 under heading into the final round at Lancaster Country Club, Chun picked up two strokes on the front nine, closing within two of the lead.

“I knew it wasn’t going to come down to the two of us,” Lewis said. “I knew somebody was going to shoot a number to get up there.”

Chun got within a stroke with a birdie at the 12th, and then rolled in a nine-foot putt at No. 15 for the first of three straight birdies. She moved into the lead with a birdie at 16 as Yang and Lewis struggled. She added another birdie at the 17th to stretch her lead to two strokes.

At the troublesome 421-yard, uphill closing hole, Chun drove into the rough, chipped short and went on to make bogey, falling into a tie for the lead with Yang, who birdied 17.

But Yang failed again in her bid to claim the biggest prize in women’s golf. She also drove into the rough at the last hole, chipped short of the green and failed to get up-and-down for par, giving Chun the win.

“I did my best out there today,” Yang said.

Yang was tied for the lead heading into the final round of 2014 and second after 54 holes in 2012. She tried to put another failed final round into perspective.

“It was another good experience,” she said. “It just didn’t go as well as I thought, but I learned another great lesson here. And it’s going to make me better player, improve my game.”

Lewis’ bid for her first U.S. Open title was foiled by a pair of double-bogeys, with the most costly one coming at 15, a hole after she had moved into a tie for the lead. At the 15th, she drove into the rough, hit her second shot through the fairway, and then dumped her third shot into a greenside bunker before taking a 6 and falling out of contention.

“I think anytime you have a championship like this, you want to have somebody go out there and win it, and that’s definitely what happened there at the end,” Lewis said.

But, the two-time major winner admitted the loss stung.

“I’ll get over this eventually, but it will take a day or two,” Lewis said.

Park had three birdies on the back nine. Within two shots of the lead through 16 holes, the putting woes that dogged the 2008 and 2013 winner returned and her bid ended with a three-putt bogey at the 17th.

Wie grimaced in pain throughout the round. The nagging left hip and leg issues that have made this a forgettable season for the 25-year-old four-time LPGA Tour winner seemed to intensify in the final round. She repeatedly cringed and tried to take weight off her right side after drives. Her round did have one highlight, with her drive at the 234-yard, par-4 16th hitting the flagstick before she rolled in the short eagle putt.

Megan Khang was the championship’s low amateur. The 17-year-old from Rockland, Massachusetts, closed with a 1-over 71 and finished at 5-over 285.

Fan favorite Laura Davies, who is to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame at St. Andrews on Monday, closed with her worst round of the championship, a 5-over 75. The 1987 champion, who was the oldest player in the field at 51, finished at 287.

The event set a U.S. Women’s Open attendance record with 134,016 spectators for the week, the USGA said, surpassing the 131,298 in 2005 at Cherry Hills outside Denver.

Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson helped her bid to lock up LPGA Tour playing privileges for next season. The 17-year-old had a closing 4-under 66 and rocketed up the leaderboard, tying for fifth at 3-under 277.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Amy Yang is back in the final pairing at the U.S. Women’s Open, and this time she’s prepared for the daunting challenge ahead.

The 25-year-old South Korean beat back all of Stacy Lewis’ challenges in the third round at Lancaster Country Club on Saturday, and the day ended as it started: with Yang three strokes ahead of Lewis.

On Sunday, for the third time in four years and fourth time in six, she’ll be in the final group at a U.S. Open. This time, she’ll have a three-stroke cushion over her nearest competitor and plenty of experience to draw on.

“It was good experience, the last two – the final group experience,” she said. “Me and my coach, we prepared. We practiced hard. I’ll go out there and I’ll just do my best, like what I practice.”

Yang shot a 1-under 69 Saturday, the same as Lewis, as the last pair off went toe-to-toe, giving the pairing a match-play feel.

Yang pushed her lead to four strokes at the 13th before Lewis capitalized on a two-stroke swing at the 14th, closing within two. But Lewis’ struggles with putting carried over to the 17th, where she made a three-putt bogey, sending Yang’s advantage back to three.

Yang’s three-day total of 8-under 202 is the second-lowest in championship history behind Julie Inkster’s 201 in 1999. Lewis was at 5-under 205.

On “moving day,” all the action was outside the top two spots.

In Gee Chun, playing in her first U.S. Open, shot a second 2-under 68. The 20-year-old from South Korea is alone in third place at 4-under 206. Japan’s Shiho Oyama is fourth at 3 under after a 71.

Defending champion Michelle Wie played with nagging hip and ankle pain, firing a 68. She is in a four-way tie for fifth at 2-under 208, along with two-time winner Inbee Park (70).

History was made in the third round when South Korea’s Chella Choi shot the first nine-hole score of 29 for the championship. But the 24-year-old missed a three-foot putt on her final hole that would have tied the championship’s single-round scoring record. She settled for a 6-under 64, shooting up the leaderboard into the pack at 2 under.

On Sunday, Yang will again be one of the last to tee off in the U.S. Open. She has been in the last grouping two of the last three years, and in 2010. At Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014, she played with Wie, was overtaken by eventual runner-up Lewis and settled for fourth. In 2012, she finished second to Na Yeon Choi, and placed fifth in 2010.

Lewis, a two-time major winner, figures she needs to solve the slippery, sloping greens of Lancaster Country Club if she’s to overtake Yang.

“It’s just the severity of these greens,” said Lewis, who is tied for 26th with 96 putts over three rounds. “And the moment you do try to hit one of those down the hill, that’s when you knock it five feet by. I don’t think the speed of the greens is that inconsistent; I just think it’s the slope within the greens.”

Chun is enjoying her run through her first U.S. Open. She was paired with two-time champion Karrie Webb on Saturday, saying she was 4 years old when the seven-time major winner turned pro. She offset three bogeys with five birdies in her round to stay in contention, albeit four strokes off the lead.

“Everything I experience here, it is new, completely new,” she said. “So this is an adventure to me. So tomorrow it’s going to be the same thing. Everything is going to be very fun. I just want to be enjoying every bit of the time.”

The hilly course in the heart of Amish country is taking its toll on the hobbled Wie. At one point Saturday, the 25-year-old, four-time winner was kneading her hip and thigh, trying to loosen her muscles.

“I just feel like there’s a knot in it sometimes and just trying to get it to go,” she said.

“Unfortunately it does get a little bit worse. It’s just a pretty hilly golf course. On flat lies, it’s OK. It’s just on the uphill shots,” she said.

Wie, 57th after the opening round, finally got into red numbers with a birdie at the second, but struggled to stay below par on the front nine. She gave a stroke back at the fourth before following consecutive birdies at the sixth and seventh with back-to-back bogeys closing out the side.

She finally got on track on the back side, posting birdies on the 10th, 12th and 13th to reach 3 under. But she gave another stroke back at the 16th and limped in with pars.

Wie is refusing to let the injuries that forced her to withdraw from Kingsmill earlier this year hamper the defense of her major title.

“It was a long day today,” Wie acknowledged. “I’m glad to be done … I’ve played with the pain for a while. I know what to expect, nothing is unexpected.

“I just feel like it’s coming together. I just want to keep the good feelings going and keep improving on them, gaining confidence in my good shots and learn from the bad ones.”

Of the five amateurs who made the cut, Megan Khang has the lowest score at 4-over 214, good for a tie for 37th.

There was a hole-in-one Saturday. Lee Lopez used a 6-iron to ace the 156-yard sixth hole, the 23rd hole-in-one in U.S. Women’s Open history.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Amy Yang has experienced success at the U.S. Women’s Open. Now, she wants the ultimate prize.

The 25-year-old South Korean went on a four-birdie run Friday, charging to a three-stroke lead after two rounds at Lancaster Country Club and putting her in position – again – to make a run at her first major championship.

The day started early for 55 players, who resumed their opening round after play was suspended late Thursday due to a powerful storm. The second round ended with the bulk of the field still trying to solve the speedy and sloping greens of the hilly William Flynn layout in the heart of Amish country.

Ultimately, the day belonged to Yang.

She took control on her inward nine with birdies on the 11th, 12th, 13th. She hit her approach to within a foot on No. 14 and punctuated the 4-under-par run. She was at 7-under 133.

“I just enjoy it out here,” Yang said. “And I know the golf courses are very tough; I just enjoy the tough condition of the golf courses.”

Stacy Lewis, last year’s runner-up, and Japan’s Shiho Oyama were tied for second at 4-under 136.

Yang has had her share of success on the LPGA Tour, earning two victories since turning pro in 2006. But some of her finest golf has been played in the U.S. Open, where she has finished in the top 10 four times in the last five years.

She tied for fifth in 2010, shared 10th place the following year and placed second in 2012. Last year at Pinehurst No. 2, she was third after 36 holes and first after 54 before closing with a 74 and finishing fourth.

She was paired with eventual winner Michelle Wie in the final round at Pinehurst and believes that experience can only help over the final two rounds.

“It’s better to have that experience than never experience that before,” Yang said. “It’s different out there and I know what kind of pressure that is like. It will be tough, but I will be patient and work on it.”

Lewis birdied four of eight holes in the middle of her round, but bogeyed her last and settled for a 3-under 67.

Lewis’ patience was tested early in the first round as she struggled with four bogeys and two birdies before breaking out of her funk. That carried over into the second round and she went on a tear that propelled her near the top of the leaderboard – again – in the biggest event in women’s golf.

“I just started playing golf, is really what it was,” Lewis said, “I was thinking a lot those first 10, 11 holes, thinking a lot about my golf swing and just not playing. So I got to just playing golf … and it’s what you’re seeing in the scores.”

The 38-year-old Oyama had an opening 70 and was 2 over early in her second round before shooting up the leaderboard. She made six birdies in a 12-hole stretch, including four on her second nine on the way to a 4-under 66.

She has a total of nine victories in Japan. She played in the 2007 and 2009 U.S. Opens, but said surgery kept her from playing golf for a year. She’s thrilled to be back in the championship.

“I feel really great. … I’m so excited to play two more days,” she said.

Marina Alex, part of a three-way tie for the lead after one round, carded a 1-over 71 and was in fourth place at 3-under 137.

Karrie Webb, also first-round co-leader, had a 2-over 72 and was in a large group at 2-under 138. That group includes top-ranked and two-time champion Inbee Park (70), first-round co-leader Jane Park (72) and Morgan Pressel (70).

Inbee Park and Jane Park were among the players forced to finish their first rounds early Friday.

Jane Park, the 2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, used a birdie and four pars to earn a share of the lead after one round.

“It wasn’t exactly a day where I could be very aggressive with my putts because the pin placements were very difficult,” she said.

Inbee Park, a two-time U.S. Open winner with titles in 2008 and 2013, played 22 holes Friday. She said her patience was tested by her poor putting.

“I hit probably every putt short, I missed it short,” she said. “It’s hard to think that you have to smash the putts at a U.S. Open. That’s where putts are, really, really slow. It’s a little bit disappointing. “

Wie rebounded from an opening 72 with a 2-under 68 and was seven shots off the lead.

Team Canada Young Pro Brooke Henderson signed for a round of 73 today and sits T44 heading into the weekend. Christina Foster missed the cut after a round of 82 to follow a round of 71 yesterday.