Park leads U.S. Women's Open, Mediate out in front at the Buick Open

LPGA Tour Rookie Angela Park, 18, carded a 3-under-par-68 to reach the top of the leaderboard during an opening round Thursday of the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, which was ultimately suspended due to weather. Afternoon thunderstorms delayed the completion of the first round. Play was suspended at 2:47 p.m, shortly after the final afternoon groups teed off. Thunderstorms in the area kept golfers off the course until 6:23 p.m. All afternoon players failed to complete their rounds before dark at 8:25 p.m. …

PGA Tour veteran Rocco Mediate made eight birdies — four on each nine — on his way to a 64 and the first round lead at the Buick Open. It was his lowest round since posting a 63 in the final round of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz Championship. The performance left the 44-year-old with a one-shot advantage over Brett Quigley, Woody Austin and Brian Bateman, who all shot 65 at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club. …

South Africa’s James Kamte and Wales’ Kyron Sullivan lead the European PGA Tour’s Open de France ALSTOM at six under par, one shot ahead of England’s Benn Barham and Graeme Storm and Sweden’s Steven Jeppesen and Christian Nilsson. Colin Montgomerie is in the hunt at 4-under-par. …

Over at WorldGolf.com, be sure to follow Brandon Tucker’s daily dispatches from Pine Needles, where he is covering the U.S. Women’s Open.