SHOAL CREEK, Ala. (Reuters) - Australian Sarah Jane Smith carded her second consecutive five-under-par 67 to take a four-stroke clubhouse lead at the U.S. Women's Open on Friday as the second round was interrupted by a long weather delay.
After sharing the overnight lead with South Korea's Lee Jeong-eun and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, Smith quickly took advantage of benign early conditions to pick up five birdies on her outward half at Shoal Creek.
She could not maintain the torrid pace coming home, playing her final nine holes in even par, but her 10-under 134 halfway total gave her a four-shot cushion over compatriot Su Oh (68) and Jutanugarn, who was one under through four holes.
Lee fell eight shots back after a 75.
The afternoon starters endured a frustrating lightning delay that stretched to nearly four hours before the danger cleared and play resumed. They will be unable to complete the round and will have to return early on Saturday to do so.
Smith, who could become the second consecutive player to pick up a major with her first LPGA win after Pernilla Lindberg's victory at the ANA Inspiration in April, was pleased with the way she coped with the nerves of leading.
"I was definitely nervous but not like I've been in the past. I was actually kind of happy with how I handled it a bit more today," the world number 97 said.
"I find the nerves of playing bad are a lot harder to deal with than the nerves of playing good. So I feel like it's a different nerves but they were there."
The 33-year-old could also make it consecutive Australian major winners at Shoal Creek following Wayne Grady's victory at the 1990 PGA Championship and she was delighted to see her name atop the leaderboard for the entire round.
"It's kind of fun seeing that," she said.
"It was weird (building a big lead). It just felt really easy. It was strange, the front nine. I was sort of holing a lot of putts. I didn't hit a great shot into 13, and then holed maybe a 40-footer for birdie there.
"I hit a couple squirrelly shots (late in the round), but made some nice up-and-downs. Obviously it sucked to have the three-putt on eight (her 17th), but can't complain too much."
Smith, coached by one of Tiger Woods' previous instructors, Sean Foley, arrived at Shoal Creek after five missed cuts in six starts.
"Sean is in constant contact," Smith said. "So we had a really good lesson before Kingsmill (two weeks ago) and then I actually missed the cut but felt like I played really well.
"(He told me to) keep showing up, it's going to turn around. He just kind of set me straight."
(Reporting by Andrew Both, editing by Peter Rutherford)
