Wie takes aim at her first LPGA Tour win
Advertiser Staff and News Services
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GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Honolulu's Michelle Wie moved into position for her first LPGA Tour victory, shooting a 2-under 70 yesterday in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational for a share of the third-round lead with Cristie Kerr.
Kerr had a 67 to match Wie at 10 under on the Guadalajara Country Club course.
Second-round leader Jiyai Shin (74) was a stroke back along with Paula Creamer (71) and first-round leader Song-Hee Kim (70).
Wie has a share of the lead going into the final round for the second time this season. She was tied for the lead in February in the SBS Open in Hawai'i, but ended up three strokes behind winner Angela Stanford.
The Punahou School alum and Stanford student acknowledged that there will be some pressure on her today, but has a game plan to combat that.
"I think I'm just going to play the same way I've always played and go out there and try my hardest and try not to make any expectations of myself," Wie said. "Just go out there like it's another day and try to play as hard as I can and try not to make any bogeys tomorrow."
Wie had two bogeys yesterday, offsetting four birdies in what she called a "loose" round.
"I think the hardest thing for me was ... there were a couple of loose shots," she said. "I didn't get it in the fairway a couple of times and it kind of cost me.
"But I feel like I hit most of my shots solid. There were a couple of misses on a couple of holes but I'll try to make some more birdies tomorrow. I felt like I made some birdies early on and just couldn't get anything going after that."
Wie started her round birdie-birdie, sinking a 20-footer on the par-4, 350-yard first hole and a 30-footer on the par-4, 384-yard second.
She also birdied the par-4, 336-yard 11th with another 20-footer and the par-3, 152-yard 13th from 4 feet.
Her bogeys came on the par-4, 435-yard 12th when she overshot the green and the par-4, 391-yard 15th when she found a bunker.
She had a chance to take the outright lead on the 18th, but her downhill birdie putt stopped hole-high to the right of the cup.
"You know, I'm really excited for tomorrow and hopefully I can go out and win," Wie said.
www.LPGA.com contributed to this report