Interlachen briefly lets its guard down

There was a guarantee of more red numbers than normal for the 63rd U.S. Women's Open when the USGA decided to go with five par-5s and maintain Interlachen's par at 73.

Still, the sight of a handful of red 3s, 4s and 5s -- meaning under par -- on the leaderboard three hours after Thursday's play started was a bit of a shock to Interlachen members and people predicting that 2 or 3 under would be the winning score on Sunday evening.

"The scoring conditions are perfect this morning," said Jock Olson, Interlachen's head pro. "There's moisture in the greens because of the humidity and there's no wind. I think Interlachen is going to hold up very well as the week goes on."

Ji Young Oh had an early tee time and finished tied with Pat Hurst for the lead at 6-under 67. Amateur Maria Jose Uribe from Colombia outplayed playing partners Lorena Ochoa and Cristie Kerr and shot a 69. That score was matched by little-known Louise Friberg.

Veteran Laura Davies was 4 under for much of the morning before finishing at 70. Helen Alfredsson and Catriona Matthew also were in with 70s.

All these scores were posted by 1 p.m. or so by players from the morning shift.

"What do you think of the numbers?" someone asked Interlachen member Bob Carlson, a co-chair for this tournament.

Not the attendance number, Mr. Carlson -- all the low scores being posted on the sacred acreage of which the membership is so proud.

"I'd say these players are even better than we thought," Carlson said. "I can't believe the way they move the ball. But saying that, I don't think the scores will stay like this, especially if we get some wind."

Alfredsson agreed that it would be a mistake to look at the early redness and assume Interlachen will find itself embarrassed as a test of golf.

"It didn't play as fast as I thought it would," she said. "It was very kind this morning ... as kind as it will be. I know this was probably one day of kindness."

Mike Davis is the USGA's senior director for rules and competition. He's the boss when it comes to setting up the golf course.

"It has been a great day," he said at midafternoon. "The course is playing beautifully. It's actually playing like we thought it would. The conditions have been there for good scoring today, and some players have done a great job with that.

"This isn't all that unusual. You look at first rounds in past men's or women's championships, and you get a day like this -- humidity and no wind -- and most of the time we'll have a number of players go low.

"I've seen the members and other people wonder what's going on when that happens, but it's not like the players are going to do this four days in a row."

Davis came off as completely sincere as he described his enthusiasm for Interlachen as a test of golf.

"The greens here are wonderful," he said. "That's another reason for good scoring. You can make putts here."

"I'll bet he's going to put the pin down in front here at least once this week," said a member, nodding toward the tournament's ninth green.

The ninth is No. 18 for the members, and it has a green that Michelle Wie described as being shaped like a "Pringle chip." She said this after recording a score on the hole shaped like a pear -- a quintuple-bogey 9.

A front pin placement could result in numerous players following Wie's lead and putting off the green and down the steep hill in front.

"There's not going to be a front pin, and there's not going to be a back pin," Davis said. "We're going to have to stay down in the small area in the middle with the pins for four days."

Mike Davis has no tricks in mind to keep the red numbers out of double digits. He's going to count on Interlachen, a grand old track, to protect itself.