A waterlogged major ahead

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Inbee Park’s 12th U.S. Women’s Open already stands out for a gloomy reason: the rain-soaked course at Shoal Creek.

The picturesque course had been drenched by nearly 5 inches of rain this week as of Wednesday afternoon, with the effects of Subtropical Storm Alberto adding onto earlier rains.

“This is probably the wettest conditions I have ever seen in a U.S. Women’s Open,” said Park, a South Korean who won in 2008 and 2013. “We just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Practice rounds were

canceled Tuesday and the course closed, other than some late-afternoon trips to the driving range. More rain followed overnight and into Wednesday on the eve of the major championship, when the course finally reopened by early afternoon in time for some of the 156 players to get in practice.

Pernilla Lindberg won the year’s first major at the ANA Inspiration, the 11th consecutive women’s major with a different winner. The LPGA Tour has not had a multiple winner through 13 tournaments this season.

The defending champion is Korean Sung Hyun Park, who won last year at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., by two strokes over amateur Hye-Jin Choi.

Among those in the field are Bay Area teen Lucy Li, Stanford’s Albane Valenzuela and Andrea Lee, Grace Na of Oakland and Bay Area native Paula Creamer.