"Everybody's been talking about it," said Ochoa, whose name reportedly is one of 15 on a letter delivered to the LPGA board of directors calling for Bivens' resignation. "We, as players, want to be more involved in what is happening, and we want to see the tour going in a better direction.

"There's not much we can do. I believe they will do the best for us and hopefully things will start moving in a good direction, because we are worried that we're losing tournaments and we want to get back on a good track."

While declining comment on whether another commissioner could turn things around, Ochoa said the board would analyze "what will be the best thing for us, and then make a decision from there."

Conversely, Paula Creamer, one of the rising young American stars on the LPGA Tour and another player who is said to have signed the letter, did not want to get into commissioner talk.

"I have been concerned more about our events that we've had," she said. "We'll see what happens. But I can't really comment on what's happening because it's out of my control."

Bivens continued to be unavailable for comment yesterday. A source said Bivens had changed her plans to come to Saucon Valley and would not be present at the U.S. Women's Open.

The complaints against Bivens concern the number of 2009 LPGA events that are up for renewal but may opt to end their relationship with the tour, because of the economic downturn and a desire by Bivens to raise fees.

Amid all this, Ochoa wants to eliminate distractions in seeking her first U.S. Women's Open championship over the tough, 6,740-yard Old Course at Saucon Valley.

"My attention and concentration is on the tournament," she said. "I want to perform and do my best and just leave everything else outside."

Ochoa, 27, a two-time major champion, is competing in her ninth Women's Open, with her best finish being a tie for second in 2007. She was not a factor last year and did not finish in the top 10 in either of the first two majors of 2009.

She owns two tour victories this year and is fifth on the money list, but her record is not quite up to her standards of the previous three years, when she won 21 tournaments.

"It's part of the job," she said of the expectations on her. "If you want to be No. 1, all of those things come along. So I'm OK. It's never easy; I'm still learning."

Creamer, 22, still is trying to win her first major. She has been hampered by inflammation in her left thumb, but after two cortisone shots and 10 days of rest coming into this week, she said she felt much better.

"Obviously, I wish I was a little bit more prepared to come into the U.S. Open, but it's what I've been given," she said. "Monday and Tuesday, I was a little rusty. But I feel good now. I've hit some balls and kind of got it out of my system."

No Wie, Gulbis. A decision by the U.S. Golf Association to change the exemption of players on the 2009 LPGA money list from the top 35 to the top 10 prevented Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis from automatically being in the field.

Wie was 16th on the money list and Gulbis ranked 26th at the time of the June 1 cutoff. Both tried to make the Women's Open through a 36-hole qualifying competition in Rockville, Md., but failed.

"There were only 10 [LPGA] events prior to this one," said Mike Davis, the USGA's senior director of rules and competitions. "We just felt to give 35 spots, you could have a scenario where one player maybe has one decent event and nine bad events, and all of a sudden she's in the Women's Open."

Wie had played in the last six U.S. Women's Opens going back to her first at age 13. She received special exemptions into the field in 2004 and 2006.

Contact staff writer Joe Juliano at 215-854-4494 or jjuliano@phillynews.com.