KAHUKU — After a day it is clear what to expect in this eagerly anticipated LPGA tour season: The unexpected.

Grace Park, last seen gritting her teeth through another golf swing that jarred her chronically bad back, opened 2006 with a 6-under-par 66 yesterday in the SBS Open at Turtle Bay. Her closest pursuers, of those who finished the rain-plagued round, are the self-described "oldest player out here" and two at the other end of the LPGA's age spectrum — though not the ones you might expect.

A downpour pushed the start back nearly an hour at the Palmer Course. Officials blew the horn to stop play at 6:26 p.m. with 27 players on the course, including Becky Iverson. She also is 6-under, after 15 holes and eight birdies, including three from 25 feet. Kyeong Bae, a rookie off the Futures Tour, is 4-under after 15.

Japan's Ai Miyazato went out last — at approximately 2:45 p.m. — and three-putted her first hole as an LPGA member. She fought her way back to 2-under before stopping after 14 holes.

Those who did not finish go out at 7:30 a.m. today, before the second round starts.

Sherri Turner, who turns 50 in October, shares second at 68 with Allison Hanna, 23, and Meena Lee, 24. Hanna opened her ninth LPGA event by sinking a 40-foot birdie putt on the first hole. Lee was runner-up to Paula Creamer in the 2005 Rookie of the Year race and seventh on the money list.

"I think it's awesome," said Turner, who won the Orix Hawaiian Ladies Open at the original Turtle Bay course in 1989. "I was looking around and thinking I am at a college tournament. I'm like the coach. I have all of these kids here."

The first time Turner was out here she was in college. That was 30 years ago, when the University of Hawai'i hosted the AIAW national championship.

Park, who has squeezed six wins into her six LPGA seasons, wasn't alive then. But, at 26, she's already feeling seasoned on a tour suddenly overrun with players whose only familiarity with the 70s is on the golf course.

"That is reality," Park said. "The tour is excited to have these young phenoms. I'm thrilled to have them. I'm welcoming them. But the veterans — I guess I'm one of the veterans now — the older players, it's a good challenge for us. It pushes me to work harder. I don't want a teenager beating me. I think it really brings more competition to the tour. It's great for everyone."

It wasn't that great for closely watched teens Creamer and Morgan Pressel, who rode a weird roller coaster into 2006. Creamer birdied two of the first four, gave that back with bogeys as she made the turn, then hit into the water and triple-bogeyed the 13th. She shot 74. Pressel was 4-under after the 14th, but bogeyed the next three holes and needed a birdie on the 18th to shoot 70.

The Palmer Course came out of the rain with a rare calm. Greens were soft and inviting to approach shots, and just as pure to putt as they were three weeks ago for the Champions Tour. Because of the rain, players were allowed "preferred lies" on the fairway and could lift, clean and place their ball.

It was, Park said, "close to perfect," and so was she despite what she termed an "awful" ball-striking day. She only hit one fairway on the front nine, but one-putted the first seven greens — three for birdie. She added three birdies on the back, all from within 10 feet.

Not exactly what she expected after suffering through back pain all last year. She traces the problem to an awkward stretch — ironically on a flexibility test — in her seventh-grade PE class at Mid-Pacific Institute. It was so bad last year that when she arrived at the Kraft Nabisco Championship to defend her only major title, she wasn't sure if she could play until the moment she teed off. She tied for fifth that week. It was her best finish of what she called an "awful" year.

That was all forgotten yesterday, as were Turner's tough times. She hasn't won in precisely 17 years — though she has collected more than $2 million — and her bad shoulder required surgery in 2004. She said yesterday this will probably be her final year, but if it is anything like her first round here that could change.

"I'm in shock as much as anybody," Turner said. "Not that I didn't know I could do it. It was just such a long morning."

The field will be cut to the top 70 and ties after the second round. Defending champion Jennifer Rosales had 74 yesterday. Former Rainbow Wahine Cindy Rarick shot 75 and Turtle Bay representative Dorothy Delasin 77.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.