GOLF

WILD DAY AT U.S. OPEN ENDS WITH A TEENAGER IN THE LEAD

The serenity of Pine Needles was interrupted by one wild day at the U.S. Women’s Open.

In a tournament dominated by talk of teenagers, one of them wound up atop the leaderboard and hardly anyone noticed. That would be 18-year-old Angela Park who played early and played great on her way to a 3-under 68. Only half of the 156-player field completed the first round because of a 3 1/2 -hour delay that didn’t produce a drop of rain.

Alexis Thompson, the youngest qualifier in Women’s Open history played well beyond her 12 years until darkness forced her to come inside, a typical occurrence for most kids having a blast on their summer vacation.

Lorena Ochoa went from celebrating one of the most amazing shots of her career, holing out from a bunker with a 5-wood, to stunning bad luck when her approach bounced between two bleachers and out-of-bounds.

Karrie Webb, the winner at Pine Needles the last time the Women’s Open was in town, couldn’t make a birdie and wound up with an 83 the worst score of her Hall-of Fame career.

About the only thing that wasn’ much of a surprise was Michelle Wie, who continued her free fall with an 82, the second time in three rounds she has failed to break 80 this one matching her highest score in the Women’s Open.

Associated Press

FOOTBALL

SOME NFL OWNERS WANT TO FOLD EUROPEAN LEAGUE

Some National Football League owners want to close the NFL’s six-team European developmental league because it’s losing too much money, said Kansas City Chiefs President Carl Peterson.

NFL Europa, which began operating in its current format in 1995, plays its season from April to June and offers teams an opportunity for young players to gain experience. Peterson said that outweighs the losses, which he said averaged $500,000 for each of the NFL’s 32 clubs.

“We’re not in a place, very frankly, where we’re breaking even,” Peterson said in an interview. He said NFL teams will be studying financial reports before making any decisions.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora said the European league is undergoing its annual review and declined to comment further.

The league has produced players such as quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to the 2000 Super Bowl championship and won two NFL Most Valuable Player awards; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme; and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, a two-time Pro Bowl pick.

Bloomberg News