SYLVANIA, Ohio — Ironically, it wasn't the seven birdies that defined Michelle Wie's opening round Thursday at the Jamie Farr Classic. It was her one bogey.

Wie opted for a safe play that contained the damage and shot six-under-par 65. It was her best raw score of the year, and it put her in a tie for fourth with Suzann Pettersen, one shot behind co-leaders Morgan Pressel, Laura Diaz and Song-Hee Kim.

Wie's key moment came six holes into the round and was sandwiched within a string of five birdies. She sprayed her drive into the right rough on the 15th hole at Highland Meadows Golf Club and had few options when her ball landed in the trees.

"I had two walls in between my ball," Wie said. "I had a huge root that came straight up into my ball. Another root that came up right in front of it."

On another day, at another tournament or in another year, Wie might have gone for the aggressive play and attempted a daring, low-percentage escape that could have doomed her round and her chances of winning.

"Yeah, I think so," said the 19-year-old rookie. "It'd be like, you know, might as well get it into the fairway. But you learn from playing."

Instead, Wie dialed it down and channeled more Tiger Woods than Phil Mickelson. She hit her ball even deeper into the trees in order to have a clear third shot to the green. Then she nearly made a 30-footer for par.

"I could have had a par, but it was a good bogey," she said.

Wie credited her tempo and rhythm. She hit 11 fairways, 14 greens and rode a hot putter. She took only 25 putts and made two 40-foot birdies when her wedges let her down.

"I do want my wedges to get a lot better," she said. "Those are the scoring clubs. That's what I had in mind today: If I have a wedge in my hand I want to birdie this hole."

DIAZ RETURNS: Last year, Diaz was carted off the course in the fourth round when she aggravated a pulled muscle — which was originally caused by her son, Cooper.

"At the time he was 2½, and he's a strong little boy," Diaz said. "He just jumped straight on my chest and I pulled a muscle, he pulled a muscle."

Diaz's round of 64 featured only 20 putts and a pitch-in eagle from 38 yards on the 17th hole. Her previous best round was a 68 during a tough season in which she has missed six of her past seven cuts.

Diaz appears to be negotiating the golf course better and also has a better strategy for Cooper's jumping attacks.

"Now I just brace every time," she said.

ALSO IN THE HUNT: This year's deep field has some of the top names in contention. Defending U.S. Open champion Inbee Park, 2007 U.S. Open champ Cristie Kerr and money leader Jiyai Shin were tied at 66 with Lindsey Wright .

OH-OH, OCHOA: Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa, playing the Farr for the first time since 2004, shot 67. She started on the 10th hole and birdied four of six holes beginning with the 16th. But a hooked drive into the trees on the fourth hole led to a double-bogey .

NICE SHOTS: Peterson made a hole-in-one on the 154-yard second hole with a seven-iron and Christina Kim, who shot one-under 70, holed out from 57 yards for an eagle on the par-five 18th hole.

CREAMER OUT: Defending champion Paula Creamer withdrew in the morning because of an injury she suffered to her left thumb Saturday. Second-year player Becky Lucidi took Creamer's place with about 15 minutes notice and shot 77.

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