Lincicome grabs lead at U.S. Women's Open

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- A teenager was in tears Thursday at the U.S. Women's Open.

It wasn't the pressure of playing in the biggest event of the year against the best in women's golf. It wasn't a big number or a bad round.

And no, it wasn't Michelle Wie.

Brittany Lincicome, 18, simply didn't know what else to do when she hit out of the rough and under the trees and watched a perfectly played 7-iron disappear into the cup for an eagle, sending her to a record-tying round of 5-under 66 and a one-shot lead when darkness finally fell at Orchards Golf Club.

So she cried.

"I looked at my dad and started bawling," said Lincicome, a 6-foot blonde with a ponytail and engaging smile. "I could not stop. I walked all the way to the green, my mom started crying, and then I started crying even more. Don't look at your mom when you're crying."

Typical teen, huh?

There was nothing unusual about someone so young winding up atop the leaderboard in the rain-delayed first round, not in this environment of kids refusing to act their age, and not at this Open that has a record 16 teens in the field.

The only surprise was that it was Lincicome, who never even tried to qualify for a Women's Open until last month. Then, she upstaged the 14-year-old Wie, 17-year-old Paula Creamer and even the top pros.

Thunderstorms suspended play for three hours, leaving Annika Sorenstam among 75 players who had to return this morning to finish the first round.

Sorenstam was at 2 under with three holes to play. Beth Daniel was at 3 under with six holes remaining.

Lincicome, who just finished her final year of home school in the Tampa Bay area, matched the lowest score ever by an amateur (Carol Semple Thompson in 1994 at Indianwood), and tied the back-nine record of 30 at a Women's Open.

Patricia Meunier-LeBouc, the '03 Kraft Nabisco champion with a 4-month-old daughter, birdied the final four holes for a 67, twice holing 25-foot putts.

Only five other players from the early starters broke par in calm conditions that turned nasty with dark clouds, thunder and rain that swamped the Orchards.

Not even the loud claps of thunder could shake Lincicome from this dream.

"I'm still in shock," she said.

PGA TourLEMONT, Ill. -- Loren Roberts matched his best round of the year with a bogey-free 7-under 64 and held the first-round lead at the Western Open.

Former champion Robert Allenby is one stroke back after birdies on his last three holes. British Open champion Ben Curtis leads a group three strokes back.

Defending champion Tiger Woods broke out a new, graphite driver with a larger club head, but it wasn't the answer for his sluggish game. He closed out a lackluster round with a bogey on the final hole and carded a 70.