EDINA, Minn. — All the elements were in place to bring back so many positive memories for Angela Park.

She was in the 36-hole lead at the U.S. Women’s Open, just like last year. She looks comfortable on another Donald Ross design, Interlachen on Friday, Pine Needles a year ago. Rain brought yet another delay, just not quite as long or messy as last year.

Cristie Kerr can only hope the similarities last all the way until Sunday.

Park found a smooth putting stroke to go with her pretty swing, posting a 6-under 67 well before storms forced a 2½-hour delay.

No one could catch her when play resumed, but Kerr made quite a statement with her game and her words.

The defending champion was one shot out of the lead until a fly disturbed her routine on the final hole, where she hit her tee shot into the woods and made bogey for a 70 to finish two shots behind.

“I’m in position again, and I have that fire. I’ve got it,” Kerr said. “This golf course and Pine Needles just turn my switch on.”

Kerr won a year ago by overtaking Park in the third round, then holding off Lorena Ochoa on the back nine. There is still plenty of golf left, starting with the 36 players who had to return today to complete the second round.

And there are still three other players between Kerr and the lead.

Helen Alfredsson bogeyed the 16th hole as the sun dipped behind the trees, settling for a 71 that left her one shot behind, along with Minea Blomqvist of Finland and In-Bee Park, who each had 69.

Kerr was asked if she could draw any parallels with last year at Pine Needles.

“The feeling I have inside me. The feeling I have inside my head and my heart,” she said. “The ability like I have right now to get it done. It just a nice feeling to have.”

Among those who didn’t finish were Michelle Wie, who tried to rally from an 81 but made bogeys she couldn’t afford after the rain delay. She was 2 over for the round, 10 over for the tournament, and had to return today to play one hole.

The cut was assured of being 4-over 150 because of the 10-stroke rule at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Angela Park made sure of that with burst of birdies early in her round, a 5-wood into 30 feet for an eagle on No. 2, and only one bogey on an otherwise flawless day. She was at 6-under 140.

“I told myself, ‘Anything under par today would be good. Just get me back up in the tournament,’ ” she said. “I told myself yesterday, ‘Go as low as possible,’ and that’s what I did.”

Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam could not say the same.

Ochoa went 13 holes without a birdie in her first round of 73. Determined to get off to a good start, she went 12 holes Friday without a birdie and was closer to the cut than the lead when storm clouds gathered, lightning flashed and she was given time to cool off.

“It was a tough day for me today,” Ochoa said. “I actually was very glad for the rain delayed because after No. 3, I was really frustrated and it seemed like nothing was going my way. I needed some time to relax and get away a little bit. I came back strong. I feel like I can continue the good momentum tomorrow.”

Ochoa holed an 8-foot par putt on her final hole for a 74, leaving her seven shots behind. She missed three birdie putts on her final four holes, including a 6-footer on the seventh.

That was Sorenstam’s story, too.

The three-time Open champion took 33 putts for the second straight day, and the final hole might have been the most aggravating. After a 3-wood over the water and a corner of the bunker that rolled to 5 feet, her eagle putt never touched the hole.

“I think I’m hitting the ball as good as I can,” Sorenstam said. “I’m just going to work on a few things with my putter, and I’m really looking forward to the weekend. It has to do with tempo, it has to do with the length of my back swing. It just takes awhile to get that.”

Also on Friday:

Leader seeks first PGA win

GRAND BLANC, Mich. — The PGA Tour’s optimistic view of life without Tiger Woods is that it gives unheralded players a chance in the spotlight.

Bo Van Pelt is trying to take advantage.

Van Pelt shot a 6-under 66 at the Buick Open, making him a career-best 14-under 130 through 36 holes and the second-round leader by two shots.

He missed out on his best chance to win for the first time in seven PGA Tour seasons at the Puerto Rico Open, where he led for three-plus rounds before losing by a stroke to first-time winner Greg Kraft.

“The more I put myself in that position, one of these Sundays is going to be my day,” he said.

Daniel Chopra (67) and Dudley Hart (68) head into the weekend at 12 under, two shots behind Van Pelt.

Roberts charges to front

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — Loren Roberts made a 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to cap a 6-under 65 that gave him a one-stroke lead over two golfers with a special relationship after the opening round of the Commerce Bank Championship.

It was the second straight year Roberts, who is fourth on the Champions Tour money list, held the first-round lead of the 54-hole event played on the Red Course at Eisenhower Park.

And befitting a summer Friday on Long Island, there was quite a traffic jam behind him on the leaderboard.

Gene Jones and Greg Hickman, who has caddied for Jones on the Champions Tour, had 66s to share second place in the $1.6 million tournament.

Two tied at top of French Open

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — England’s David Lynn holed a bunker shot for birdie on the final hole for a 6-under 65 and a share of the second-round lead in the French Open with Spanish qualifier Pablo Larrazabal.

Lynn and Larrazabal (70) had 7-under 135 totals on Le Golf National’s Albatross Course. England’s Lee Westwood (68), Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie (68), Spain’s Ignacio Garrido (69), Argentina’s Angel Cabrera (70) and Ireland’s Peter Lawrie (71) were tied for third.