Former Big Island resident Kimberly Kim shot a 3-under 69 yesterday and sits in second place, leading a strong group of Hawai'i players in the 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Ky.

Two other Hawai'i golfers — Pearl City's Mari Chun and Lihu'e's Miki Ueoka — are tied for eighth at even-par 72. Ho-nolulu's Xyra Suyetsugu is tied for 13th at 1-over.

Hawai'i's other golfers are:

Honolulu's Kristina Merkle at 3-over 75 (T28);

Kahului's Kyung Kim at 4-over 76 (T48);

Honolulu's Stephanie Kono at 5-over 77 (T62);

Hilo's Summer Mizusawa at 7-over 79 (T83);

Wahiawa's Britney Choy at 7-over-79 (T83);

Tiffany Lua, a 16-year-old from Rowland Heights, Calif., leads after a bogey-free 5-under 67 — a career-best by two shots — on the 6,094-yard layout.

Kim and another 15-year-old, Ha-Na Jang of Korea, shot 3-under 69.

Stroke-play qualifying continues with 18 holes today, with the low 64 scorers advancing to match play. Match play starts with the first round tomorrow, the second and third rounds on Thursday, the quarterfinals and semifinals Friday and a 36-hole final Saturday.

Kim, who became the youngest champion in Women's Amateur history last summer, had five birdies and two bogeys. She finished as the winds began gusting around 25 mph. Rain rolled through midway into the afternoon and the winds died down.

"I played all right," said Kim, the 2006 WAPL runner-up and a member of the 2006 USA Women's World Amateur team that competed in South Africa last October. "The pins were kind of tough just because they were on really flat areas, and usually that's easier but it was tough to see which direction (the putts) were going (to break)."

www.uswapl.org contributed to this report

PGA

INJURED WRIST FORCES MICKELSON TO WITHDRAW

Phil Mickelson withdrew from this week's Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn., because of his injured left wrist, a spokesman said yesterday.

Mickelson injured it while chipping from rough at the Oakmont Country Club during Memorial Day weekend. He has been told not to play golf for at least two weeks, according to the spokesman, who said he wasn't sure when Mickelson would play next.

ELSEWHERE

CVS Caremark Charity Classic: Masters champion Zach Johnson rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole yesterday, moving him and playing partner Brad Faxon into a first-place tie with J.J. Henry and Stewart Cink after the first round at Barrington, R.I.

Johnson and Faxon combined for an 11-under 60 in the 10-team, best-ball tournament at the Rhode Island Country Club.

Telus World Skins: John Daly won two skins and $30,000 yesterday at Thornbury, Ont., taking advantage of Colin Montgomerie's missed opportunities.

The Scot left a 10-foot putt worth $85,000 on the high side of the eighth hole at the Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay.