Kim Mi-hyun and Shani Waugh were also at 66.

Wie had a 69 as she tries to win her first tournament as a professional. The game's top-ranked player, Annika Sorenstam, also shot 69.

Temperatures reached 91 degrees at this Alpine layout, and players took every opportunity to seek out shade and liquids to avoid Wie's fate at the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic earlier this month, where she was forced out due to heat exhaustion.

"I was smart today," the 16-year-old Punahou student said. "I drank a lot of water with electrolytes. I stayed in the shade. I had my sun umbrella. It helped a lot. I'm just taking baby steps."

Ochoa — the LPGA's top money winner this season — birdied seven holes but bogeyed the 15th for her 66.

"I hit it close today and did not have that many long putts," said Ochoa, the runner-up with Wie behind Paula Creamer here last year. "Hopefully I can do the same thing the next three days."

Kim tapped in her ninth birdie in the 18th hole but double bogeyed on the eighth and had another bogey on the 14th.

"Last week was an off week, and I had a four-day lesson with my coach," Kim said. "We made my swing a little more compact, and it is working. I had some great shots today. My putting was good, and I feel more comfortable with my short game, too."

Waugh birdied five of her first seven holes to finish with seven birdies. Her only dropped shot was a bogey on the par-4 12th.

Wie was 2 under when her second shot at the par-3 17th bounced off the green and into the rough.

She angrily kicked a divot out of the grass and swung her club, stopping just short of smacking the ground.

She took a bogey, leaving her tightlipped as she walked off the green.

"Unfortunately, I hit my 52 degree (wedge) a little too hard, and it went into the hill," Wie explained. "It was 35-40 yards long. I hit the lob wedge which went short, then I chipped it to eight feet and finally sunk the putt."

She showed maturity on the final hole, however, carding an eagle-3 to finish at 3 under. She sent her drive into the rough but made a 188-yard shot with her five iron before sinking a beautiful 40-foot putt.

"I ended on a good note," Wie said.

Annika Sorenstam also had an eagle, on No. 9.

Karrie Webb was one shot behind after a 67 with Maria Hjorth, Laura Davies and Se Ri Pak in at 68.

Heather Young, the winner of the 2005 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, scored a hole-in-one to win a new Renault Modus car. The 31-year-old Texan shot a 69.