Stormy finish for Walshe

Weather halts her mojo at US Open

Lorena Ochoa shot 1-over 74 in the rain-delayed second round and is seven shots behind clubhouse leader Angela Park. (Scott halleran/Getty Images)

EDINA, Minn. - For the better part of two days, storm warnings hovered and stars fell, but she went about her business with a youngster's flair for the moment.

Then, golf happened.

Alison Walshe has dreams, which explains her presence at the 63d US Women's Open at Interlachen Country Club. But her appearance on the leaderboard midway through yesterday's weather-delayed second round requires further explanation, as simple as it may be: The young woman has game, serious game.

Her fall down the leaderboard in the span of minutes - or in the amount of time it took her to finish double bogey, double bogey in calm twilight - can be filed under the heading of gaining experience.

"Obviously, right now I'm a little [angry], but I'll eventually get over it," said Walshe, the pride of Westford, Mass., and one of the many story lines that fluctuated on a day of tumultuous weather and roller coaster play.

Fresh off a rousing stretch of amateur golf that took her from New Mexico and the NCAA championships to Scotland and the Curtis Cup, the 23-year-old had played 14 splendid holes to push to 3 under and within three of the clubhouse leader, Angela Park (6-under 67 for a 6-under 140), but there was trouble above - namely, dark, gray clouds that ushered in a violent thunderstorm and forced 78 players to sit for 2 hours 40 minutes.

"That didn't help," said Walshe, who heard the horn as she stood at the sixth tee, her 15th hole. "I kind of had the momentum."

Momentum? It hardly seems to be part of the festivities, because while Park charged forward and marquee attraction Annika Sorenstam (70 -145) shaved three shots off her previous day's deficit to get within five of the lead, others stumbled.

Pat Hurst, for instance. The first-round co-leader thanks to a 67, Hurst chopped her way around in 78 strokes to fall five back.

Laura Davies, for another. Sitting three off the lead at the start of the day after a near-flawless 70, the 44-year-old Englishman - 21 years removed from her victory in this championship - needed 40 strokes going out, 81 in all, and fell to 5 over, which will miss the cut when it is finalized this morning.

Se Ri Pak (78 -154) and Juli Inkster (81 -155) can commiserate. Former champs, they are early departures in displays of perplexing shoddy play.

Others didn't fall so hard, but Lorena Ochoa did not assert herself. The game's best player played 12 birdieless holes in 2 over before heading to shelter eight strokes back. When she returned to play six holes in 1 under, she was in at 74 -147, but sitting a hefty seven back.

The winner of two of the last three major championships and the favorite here, Ochoa has her work cut out.

Angela Park's name sits loftiest, thanks to an eagle at the par-5 second and five birdies in a one-bogey round to push to 6 under. She didn't exactly separate herself, however, because Minea Blomqvist (69), Inbee Park (69), and Helen Alfredsson (71) all got in at 5-under 141, while defending champ Cristie Kerr (70) finished in dusk to get in at 4-under 142, tied with Paula Creamer (72), Jeong Jang (69), and Candie Kung (70).

It's an eclectic group, and it could change even more this morning when the second round resumes. When it was too dark to continue play last night, 36 players were still on the course. Ochoa was not one of them, one of the few bright notes to her first two days.

"I would like to be in better position, but I think that it was a tough day for me," said Ochoa, who has made but four birdies. "I actually was very glad for the rain delay, because I was really frustrated and it seemed like nothing was going my way."

She was not speaking for Walshe, who was cruising along, tied for ninth as she made the turn and headed to Interlachen's front side. Did she catch a glimpse of her name on the leaderboards?

"Earlier, I did, but not now," said Walshe.

She stood to the side of the ninth green, her emotions in check, but the pain evident. After returning from the long delay to make pars at the sixth and seventh holes, Walshe missed the green short and right at the par-3 eighth and saw her ball come to rest in a deep, dirt hole. She barely got it out and after putting her third shot on, she missed a 4-footer for bogey.

At the closing hole, the par-4 ninth, her drive clipped a branch down the right side and left her more than 200 yards to an elevated green. Her approach was short and the pitch went 20 feet past the hole, but the backup wasn't there, not with greens that had been drenched. The ball remained well above the hole and Walsh three-putted.

The finish sent Walshe tumbling into a share of 36th at 1-over 147, but as much as that, she knows it will test her resolve. Players trudged in from the ninth and 18th greens, many wearing long faces, for their endings had been unfavorable, but Walshe figured it was time to put things behind her and focus on her third round.

"Everything," she said, "is fine."

Jim McCabe can be reached at jmccabe@globe.com.