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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 11:24 a.m., Friday, October 14, 2005

Wie in a tie for second

Advertiser Staff

Honolulu's Michelle Wie recorded seven birdies in shooting a career-best 7-under-par 65 Friday and vaulted into a second-place tie after the second round of the Samsung World Championship in Palm Desert, Calif.

Wie, 16, making her professional debut in this 20-player elite field, had birdies on the first, third, fifth, seventh, eighth, 11th and 12th holes. She missed close birdie putts on the ninth and 18th.

She has a two-round total of 9-under-par 135 on the Bighorn Golf Club Canyons Course. The four-round tournament finishes Sunday.

The Punahou junior was tied for 12th after Thursday's first round and now trails Grace Park by two shots.

Park had six birdies on the back nine and shot a 6-under 66 for an 11-under-par 133 total.

First-round leader Annika Sorenstam, who was at 11-under overall after an eagle on the par-5 12th hole, bogeyed two of the last three holes to fall into a tie with Wie and 19-year-old Paula Creamer.

"The big difference was that it was the second day," Wie told The Golf Channel. "I was a little nervous yesterday (her first day as a pro). I was at ease today."

Except for a chip-in birdie on the seventh, most of Wie's birdies were from inside eight feet.

She missed a birdie putt from about two feet on the ninth hole and settled for a front-9 score of 31, 5-under par.

Her birdie putt attempt on the 18th from about 13 feet rimmed out and settled less than an inch from the hole. She tapped in for par.

Wie's previous best round in the LPGA was a 66 in the third round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2003.

Wie shot a 2-under-par 70 Thursday and trailed Sorenstam, who shot 8-under 64, by six shots entering the second round.

Creamer followed a round of 66 with a 69 Friday.

lpga.com and The Golf Channel contributed to this report.