Michelle Wie couldn’t match her first-round fireworks, but a second-round 69 on Friday was enough to give her a three-shot lead after two rounds of the Canadian Women’s Open.
Wie had a 36-hole total of 10-under 134, three strokes ahead of South Korean Jiyai Shin, who posted a 67 for 137.
American Morgan Pressel carded a 66 at the St Charles Country Club to join defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway (69) on 138.
They were one shot in front of South Koreans Na Yeon Choi and Jee Young Lee, who both shot 67.
Sarah Jane Smith of Australia also had a 66 and was in a group at three-under 141, along with Sweden’s Karin Sjodin and France’s Karine Icher.
Taiwanese players didn’t fare as well with Candie Kung carding 72 to stand at 144, Teresa Lu shot 74 joining a group at 145. While Amy Hung was at 146 after shooting a 76, Yani Tseng failed to make the cut with 149 after carding 76.
Wie, 20, had a hole-in-one on the par-three 11th during her first-round 65.
“I tried. Didn’t work out,” Wie said with a smile when asked if she thought about repeating the ace. “Compared to [Thursday], nothing was that dramatic.”
Instead, Wie dropped a shot at the 11th.
“I think they were very disappointed on 11 today when I made a bogey,” she said of the big gallery following her.
Shin, ranked No. 4 in the world and boasting nine top-10 finishes this season on the LPGA tour, was pleased that even playing with Wie she had some shout-outs from the gallery.
“[They say], ‘Go Shin,’ and everybody knows my name, so I’m really happy and appreciate it, too,” she said.
Pressel, in her fifth year on the LPGA Tour, is seeking her third victory.
“It looks like Michelle is very confident in her game right now, so it looks like I’m going to have to have two more days of golf like I had today and we’ll see what happens,” said Pressel, who thrust herself into contention with birdies at five of her first eight holes.
Pressel’s best finish this season was a tie for second at the Evian Masters last month in France, where Shin won.
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