First-round leader Na Yeon Choi is 3 over for her second round through 11 holes, and now trails the three players at 2 under par by two strokes. Those three -- Cristie Kerr, Lorena Ochoa, and Jean Reynolds -- all have afternoon tee times.

Scoring will again be difficult; half the field is on the golf course now, and only five are under par for their rounds, so everybody is falling back. How tough is it? Shrewsbury amateur Brittany Altomare hasn't started her second round yet, and she's already jumped 13 spots on the leaderboard.

A few observations:

Teresa Lu was standing over a 3-foot putt for par on the par-4 eighth hole, ready to draw the putter back, when someone's cellphone went off. Lu backed away, restarted her routine, then made her putt.

Sandra Gal's golf ball was literally 2 inches off the back of the green and resting on the fringe on the long par-3 ninth, which is playing 214 yards today. Surprisingly, she chose to chip it, and sent it 10 feet past the hole. Unnerved, she calmly sank the par putt. Gal is one of the five players under par for their second round; she's 1 under today through 12 holes, and 3 over for the tournament.

Not everyone who has a ticket is interested in watching the golf. A young woman was sitting to the left of the second fairway, sketchbook in her lap, using a pencil to draw a nature scene.

It appears that Carolyn Bivens couldn't overcome a powerful letter crafted by many of the LPGA Tour's top players, asking for her immediate removal as commissioner. Multiple reports today are saying that Bivens has been let go, with GolfDigest.com reporting that a financial agreement on any money owed to her was reached last night.

The decision to remove Bivens would come roughly a week after the players sent the tour's board of directors the letter. The meeting reportedly drew such stars as Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen, Morgan Pressel, Natalie Gulbis, and Michelle Wie. The players are disgruntled at the performance of Bivens over her four-year stint as commissioner, with the tour having lost seven events since 2007, with the possibility of losing more.

Bivens was reportedly scheduled to be at the US Women's Open, but informed US Golf Association officials last night that she would not be coming. The LPGA Tour, which has refused to comment on the letter or Bivens's status, issued a statement today, which read, in part:

"Out of respect to the USGA and the amazing work that they've done and continue to do in producing and hosting this great event, we will not respond to media reports on internal matters related to the LPGA business. The LPGA players, staff and Board care deeply about our Tour, and and we're all working hard to achieve the same long-term objective to grow our Tour. We look forward to a great week of golf."

Na-Yeon Choi birdied her first three holes -- and four of her first five -- and has a two-shot lead at the US Women's Open. Choi, playing in her third Open, just holed out for birdie from a greenside bunker on No. 2. She has played 11 holes of her first round, and currently leads five players by two strokes. Among that group is Lorena Ochoa and 2007 Women's Open champion Cristie Kerr.

Some big names had rough days: Yani Tseng shot 77, Angela Stanford 78, and Helen Alfredsson, who was second a year ago, had 80.

Alison Walshe of Westwood is 12 holes into her first round and is 6 over. Amateur Brittany Altomare had a 75, while Briana Vega of Andover shot 81.

First-round play at the 64th US Women's Open has begun on a clear, sunny day, with only a hint of breeze and temperatures approaching 70. Perfect conditions. This being a US Golf Association championship, scores are high, with six players currently tied for the lead at 1 under par. Included in that group is Cristie Kerr, who has played eight holes.

A few observations from early play:

Lorena Ochoa and Paula Creamer both challenged the back hole location on the 399-yard 14th, and both probably regretted it. Creamer, out of the first cut of rough, sent a low scorcher that landed well in front of the hole, but skipped through the green and into heavy rough. Ochoa, from the middle of the fairway, flew the green, also settling into heavy rough. Both were chipping downhill, without much green to work with, and neither got it within 10 feet. Both missed their putts for par, taking bogeys.

The par-4 third hole seems docile enough, measuring only 373 yards with a slight dogleg to the left. But there's a stream in front of the green, maybe 15 yards wide, and it's catching lots of golf balls. I watched three groups come through, and one player in each found the water. Brittany Altomare, the 18-year-old amateur from Shrewsbury playing in her first Women's Open, put her second shot in, took a penalty drop, and eventually made double bogey, the only blemish on her card so far through five holes. Another amateur, Mallory Fraiche, tried to reach the green from the right rough, and never got her second shot more than 5 feet off the ground. It skipped into the water, and she also made double bogey. In the third group, Tracy Stanford found the water, and also took 6. It's early, but the third hole is playing the toughest on the course, with a stroke average of 4.93, nearly a shot above par.

Janice Olivencia, making her first appearance at the Women's Open, didn't get off to the best of starts. She double bogeyed the par-5 first hole, double bogeyed the par-4 second hole, and made a quadruple bogey 8 on No. 3. At 8 over par through four holes, she's tied for last among the 77 players on the golf course.

A couple of surprising scores: Yani Tseng, ranked second in the world, is 5 over through nine holes and hasn't made a birdie. Angela Stanford, a four-time LPGA Tour winner who hasn't missed a cut this year, is also 5 over through seven holes. Briana Vega of Andover is faring much better; she bogeyed No. 3, and is 1 over through five.

If you read what Kenny Perry had to say after yesterday's third round of the Travelers Championship, he'll show up at the TPC River Highlands today for a stress-free round of golf. He must be overlooking the fact that he'll be in the final group, one shot out of the lead held by Paul Goydos, and that they'll pay $1.08 million to the winner.

What, him worry?

When asked if he's feeling any pressure, Perry answered: "No. I don't have nothing to gain. I mean, I got everything -- I don't have nothing to lose [today]. I've been there, done that, done about everything I need to do on the PGA Tour, so I'm just going to enjoy the walk. Paul needs to win. He needs to get out there and do something, so I'm going to play relaxed golf. I'm going to try to make lots of birdies."

Perry has 13 Tour victories, and earned more than $29 million in a career that dates to 1987. But he's made no secret of his desire to get to 20 victories, despite being 48 years old. Today gives him a great opportunity to get one win closer.

Goydos has two wins to his credit, the most recent coming at the 2007 Sony Open. He turned 45 last week, and it's doubtful that anyone else on Tour appreciates more his good fortune in playing a game for a living and being able to earn so much money.

Should make for a fun final round.

Second-round play has been completed at the Travelers Championship, and the third round is just getting started. Players are going out in threesomes off both the first and 10th tee, with tournament officials hopeful that they're back on schedule.

Kenny Perry finished up his second round yesterday, and since then his lead has been cut in half. David Toms returned this morning and shot his second straight 65 to get to 10 under. Ryan Moore and Paul Goydos are two shots behind Perry at 9 under. Perry, Toms, and Moore tee off at 1:20 p.m.

The cut came at 3 under 137, with 80 players making the 36-hole cut. Because of the high number, there will be an additional cut following the third round, to the number closest to 70.

Kenny Perry still leads the Travelers Championship, still by two shots, but now he leads Ryan Moore. Perry is 2 under for his second round through 15 holes and 11 under for the tournament. Moore is playing his 18th hole and is 5 under for his second round, 9 under for the tournament. Moore has four second-place finishes on the PGA Tour, but is looking for his first win.

Aaron Watkins, playing in only his 10th Tour event, is four shots back at 7 under, along with Paul Goydos and Charles Warren, who have afternoon tee times. Watkins has one top-10 finish in his nine Tour starts, a T-7 at New Orleans.

Weather may be an issue today. Afternoon thunderstorms are in the forecast, and there's been a steady drizzle for much of the morning.

Spent time on the par-3 fifth hole. Saw a few birdies (Moore, Aaron Baddeley), and also saw D.J. Trahan three-putt for bogey, with his 4-foot par attempt go completely around the hole and come right back toward Trahan. He flipped his putter at his bag, kicked it, pulled his driver out, yanked the headcover off, and threw it on the ground. I'm guessing he wasn't pleased.

Also saw a man wearing a torn poncho that's obviously seen better days. As I got closer, I saw a logo on the back for the Canon Sammy Davis Jr. Greater Hartford Open. Not only is that maybe the longest name for a tournament in PGA Tour history, but it existed from 1985-88, making his poncho at least 21 years old.

Greetings from the Travelers Championship, although most people here still refer to it as the GHO, from its days as the Greater Hartford Open. Unlike last week at the US Open, when umbrellas and rain pants were essential accessories, it's a pleasant day, overcast but dry.

Scores are low, with Paul Goydos and Charles Warren the leaders in the clubhouse at 7 under 63. Kenny Perry is making the most noise, though; the 48-year-old shot 29 on the front nine, has added a birdie on the 10th hole, and just missed a short birdie try on No. 11. That puts him 7 under par through 11 holes, on course-record pace (four players share it at 9 under 61) and, quite possibly, flirting with golf's most sacred of numbers. He needs to play the final seven holes in 4 under to shoot 59.

A few observations from the first round at TPC River Highlands ...

Kirk Triplett shot 69, but it easily could have been one less. His birdie attempt on the par-3 fifth was headed straight for the hole, but then hit a small pebble, bounced in the air, and slid left of the hole. Triplett picked up the offending pebble, smiling, and flicked it off the green.

Like many amateurs, Scott McCarron opted for the putter on the first green, even though his ball was a good 6 feet off the green and on the fringe. And like many amateurs, McCarron left the putt from the fringe well short, at least 7 feet. He missed the putt for par, as well.

The final twosome has made the turn for home at the 109th US Open, with Lucas Glover 4 under and leading Ricky Barnes by one stroke. Neither is playing well, which has brought a lot of big names close to the lead, including Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Barnes led Glover by a shot after 54 holes, but Barnes shot 40 on the front nine. Glover shot 38, and neither player has made a final-round birdie.

That's opened the door for the rest of the field. Nobody was within four shots of the leaders through three rounds; now, seven players are within four of the lead.

Ross Fisher is 2 under and two shots back, with Mickelson, Mike Weir, and Hunter Mahan another shot back. Woods is one of three players at even par, but he's played 15 holes and only has three more to make a move.

It should be a very interesting afternoon.

Final-round play has just resumed on a cloudy, mild, windy morning at Bethpage Black. There's little, if any, chance of rain, so we should be determining a winner today, either by around 2 p.m. or, if there's a playoff, by early evening.

Players are in place and just received the signal that play is back underway. Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover, tied for the lead at 7 under, are on the second hole, with Barnes in heavy rough after his last swing last night didn't find the fairway.

Barnes and Glover are up by five shots on the rest of the field, but neither has won a major (Barnes has never won on either the PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour). Glover's lone Tour victory came in 2005.

If they falter, there's a pack of experienced winners behind them, including Phil Mickelson, Mike Weir, Retief Goosen, and Tiger Woods. It might be tough to catch Glover and Barnes, unless they come back to the pack. But if they do, it should make for quite a dramatic day.

Three rounds are in the books at Bethpage Black, with Ricky Barnes clinging to a one-shot lead over Lucas Glover. Barnes, a PGA Tour rookie in search of his first major championship, built a six-shot lead during the third round, but five bogeys over his final 12 holes -- and a 3-under 32 by Glover on the back nine -- have placed the two exactly where they started the third round, separated by one stroke.

Glover and Barnes will be in the final twosome, and are scheduled to go back out there in about two hours: 7:37 p.m., to be exact. It's overcast, but on Friday night play continued until 8:25 or so. Expect Barnes and Glover to play two or three holes, then return tomorrow morning.

David Duval and Ross Fisher are tied for third at 3 under, with Phil Mickelson, Mike Weir, and Hunter Mahan all at 2 under. Mickelson birdied the 18th hole, his seventh and final birdie of the round. Phil being Phil, he offset the seven birdies with four bogeys and a double, shooting 69.

As for Tiger Woods? He shot a 68 in the third round, and is tied for 15th, nine strokes behind Barnes. It's a tall order, but not unheard-of in major championships. Paul Lawrie came from 10 strokes back to win the 1999 British Open.

Ricky Barnes has become the fourth player in US Open history to reach at least 10 under par, getting to 11 under with an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole. Barnes, who set the US Open record for the lowest first two rounds at 132, has a three-shot lead on Lucas Glover. Mike Weir is another stroke back.

Play resumed at noon, pushed back nearly five hours because of more overnight rain. Once the third round is complete, the 60 players who made the cut will be re-paired, with four-round play expected to start perhaps by 6 p.m. Assuming, of course, that there's no more weather delays.

Third-round play at the US Open won't resume until at least noon, with steady rain saturating Bethpage Black this morning and ensuring that the tournament will extend at least until Monday.

Tournament officials were hoping to get an all-day weather window that would allow for the final two rounds to be completed today, but that simply won't happen. The decision was made so early this morning that players were informed to not even come to the course until the weather improves and a better indication of when play resumes can be determined.

Under the new best-case scenario, the third rould will start up again at noon, with 60 players (16 haven't started their third rounds yet). The fourth round would then commence once the field has been re-paired, with a two-tee start once again.

Of course, for that to happen, it has to stop raining, and that's no guarantee. Today's forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of rain. No telling when this tournament will end.

If the weather forecasts are correct and it starts raining hard by early afternoon, there's a good chance that the 36-hole cut won't come until tomorrow. But is Tiger Woods in jeopardy of missing his second US Open cut in four years?

Woods is currently even-par for his round and 4-over for the tournament, and he's played eight holes in his second round. He birdied the par-5 13th and bogeyed the par-4 15th.

The cut at the US Open is low 60 and ties, or anyone within 10 shots of the lead. With Ricky Barnes having finished two rounds at 8-under, anyone 2-over or better would qualify for the weekend.

Woods, at 4-over, is currently tied for 56th, so he's right on the cut line. He's got 10 holes left -- which might be spread over two days if the bad weather arrives quickly -- but he'll need to avoid any big mistakes coming in if he wants to make the cut.

No rain yet at Bethpage Black, with second-round play continuing under cloudy skies. By all indications, though, heavy rain is expected to reach the area by early afternoon, giving players four or five more hours to take advantage of a soft, vulnerable course.

Scores are reflecting how toothless Bethpage Black is right now. Lucas Glover and Mike Weir share the lead at 7-under, with Glover just finishing a second-round 64, which ties the competitive course record. Weir is playing the 15th. Ricky Barnes is a shot back at 6-under.

Other players to note: Phil Mickelson has taken a step back; he's 1-over for his second round through 15 holes and even-par for the tournament. Quincy's Michael Welch is 3-over for his second round after 11 holes and 6-over for the tournament.

For those fans of Tiger Woods: Your guy begins his second round at 10:06 a.m., and when he does he'll be trailing by at least 11 shots. Nobody has won the US Open when trailing by 10 or more shots after one round; Woods (4-over 74) trailed Weir (6-under 64) by 10 after 18 holes had been completed, so he'll have his work cut out. He's probably just hoping to get some golf in. The weather definitely hasn't helped those in Woods's side of the draw.

The sun is out, Bethpage Black is drying off, and scores are going low. Mike Weir and Peter Hanson currently share the US Open lead at 4-under, with Camilo Villegas a shot back and a handful of players, including Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott, two shots back.

The eight best scores right now are all owned by players who never set foot on the course yesterday, when rain affected play and forced a suspension after three hours. It's obvious that those who were scheduled to go off Thursday morning earned the more difficult side of the draw, because conditions now are ideal. It's still wet, with balls not rolling very far in the fairway, but there's birdies out there. Weir has made four through 10 holes, Hanson four through 12.

Michael Welch of Quincy has played six holes (he started on No. 10) and is 2-over.

No rain yet, so hopefully we'll get a full day of golf in. Soren Hansen is the early leader at 2-under, making birdie on Nos. 10 and 11, his first two holes. There's a big group at 1-under, including Phil Mickelson, who just birdied the 11th (he also started on the back nine).

Tiger Woods recovered slightly, making two back-nine birdies to get it back to even-par, but then the wheels came off. A double bogey on No. 15 was followed by a bogey on the 16th and a closing bogey on No. 18. He signed for a 4-over 74, his highest first-round score at a US Open since 2006.

New Bedford's Kevin Silva has played 16 holes and is 8-over. Michael Welch from Quincy tees off in 30 minutes.

The grounds are getting extremely muddy in the spectator areas, so if anyone's coming down, dress appropriately.

Players are back on the course this morning as the US Open resumes at Bethpage Black. All those who were on the course when play was suspended yesterday were sent back out at 7:30 a.m., while tee times for those who were scheduled to begin play yesterday afternoon will start at 10 a.m.

It's overcast here, but at 6:30 a.m. the pavement was mostly dry and it hasn't rained. It might today; there's a 20 percent chance. But the tournament could really use a full day of playable weather, because tomorrow's forecast is almost identical to yesterday's, with all-day thunderstorms highly likely. Getting everyone around the course once, and getting as much of the second round completed as possible, would be the best-case scenario, with tomorrow possibly being a complete washout.

Observations on the way to the golf course ..... a residential area right outside Bethpage State Park was littered with signs offering parking and a ride to the golf course. Price: $50 .... a sign welcoming visitors claims the town of Bethpage has New York's "Best Tasting Drinking Water." Who knew?

Jeff Brehaut continues to lead at 1-under, and he's been joined by Graeme McDowell. Brehaut has played 14 holes in his first round, while McDowell has played 11. Tiger Woods just birdied the 11th hole to get to 1-over. New Bedford's Kevin Silva has played five holes and is also 1-over. He bogeyed the long par-4 12th, but then birdied the par-5 13th.

Play has been called off for the rest of the day at Bethpage Black, with heavy rains continuing and making the course unplayable. The US Golf Association just announced that, weather permitting, play will resume tomorrow morning at 7:30.

Rain is still falling at Bethpage Black and first-round play is still suspended, but US Golf Association officials are hoping to resume play later today, optimistic that there may be an afternoon break from the deluge. Rain started falling around 6 a.m., and by noon there had been six-10ths of an inch recorded, with between one-quarter and four-10ths more expected before it lets up. On-site meteorologists have told USGA officials that the rain may subside by 1:30 p.m. or so, giving the course maintenance staff time to prepare the course and get the golfers back out there.

"We're hopeful that we'll get a window for three to five hours to play golf," said Jim Hyler, chairman of the championship committee. "We think it'll lighten considerably."

Play was suspended at 10:15 a.m., with half of the 156-player field on the golf course. Every group had played at least two holes, and none had played more than 11.

Hyler said that despite the heavy rain, Bethpage Black drains well, and with a large crew using squeegees and other devices helping remove the water, the course could be playable within 30 minutes.

Under even that best-case scenario, it's doubtful that anyone with an afternoon tee time -- including Phil Mickelson and Quincy's Michael Welch -- would begin their first round today. Also extremely doubtful is finishing second-round play by tomorrow evening. Even with a good day of weather tomorrow -- the forecast is improving -- getting 156 players around twice takes two full days, and there's already been a two-hour delay.