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 yesterday, 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 tomorrow.

Park found a smooth putting stroke to go with her pretty swing, posting a 6-under 67 well before storms forced a 2 1/2-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 this morning to complete the second round.

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

Helen Alfredsson bogeyed the 16th hole, 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 at 4-under 142 along with former Women's British Open champion Jeong Jang (69), Paula Creamer (72) and Candie Kung (72). Maria Jose Uribe of Colombia, the U.S. Women's Amateur champion who just finished her freshman year at UCLA is three shots off the lead. Playing with Ochoa and Kerr, Uribe shot 74.

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."

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."

HAWAI'I'S TRIO OUT

After bogeying her last hole of the day before darkness prematurely ended her second round in the U.S. Women's Open, Michelle Wie was told she had the option of getting a van ride back to the clubhouse or walking.

"I'll walk," said the Punahou alum, one of three golfers from Hawai'i. "It's good for the soul."

With one hole to play, Wie was 2 over for the day and 10 over for the tournament, well over the 4 over needed to continue to the third round at Interlachen. It's the first time in her six U.S. Women's Opens that she will miss the cut.

"It was a tough day out there," said Wie, who led the Open after three rounds in 2005 and 2006 before losing. "Just couldn't hit my putts and it was very unfortunate."

Cyd Okino, a 14-year-old Punahou student, is at 8 over through 14 holes, while Kimberly Kim, a 16-year-old former Big Island resident now living in Arizona, was at 8 over through 17 holes.