Two bad stretches on both the front and back nines dropped Michelle Wie to a 9-over-par 81 is yesterday's second round, but she still made it to the weekend in the Kraft Nabisco Championship — the first major of the year on the LPGA Tour — at Rancho Mirage, Calif.

According to Associated Press reports, those who teed off in the late morning and afternoon — Wie had an afternoon tee time — had to contend with a strong desert wind at the Mission Hills Country Club.

Wie had three double-bogeys, six bogeys and three birdies, and was at 8-over 152, 14 shots behind co-leaders Kristy McPherson and Christina Kim.

The cut was 8 over, with 70 of the field of 95 advancing to the weekend. Wie was tied for 64th.

McPherson (70) and Kim (69) teed off well before the wind started gusting yesterday and solidified their positions at 6-under 138 at the halfway point.

"Yeah, I was counting my blessings for a good tee time," McPherson said. "That's part of the game."

Wie, who scrambled to shoot 1-under 71 Thursday, bogeyed the first hole and birdied the second before her first bad three-hole stretch. She bogeyed the fourth and fifth holes and double bogeyed the sixth to go 4-over for the day before birdieing the eighth.

She birdied No. 11 before giving four shots back on Nos. 12-14, with a double bogey capping the downturn. After a par on No. 15, she bogeyed No. 16. She parred No. 17, but double-bogeyed the par-5 No. 18.

The 19-year-old Stanford sophomore and Punahou alum, still seeking her first tour victory in her 50th start in an LPGA event, is making her third start since earning her LPGA card.

ELSEWHERE

Shell Houston Open: Paul Casey shot a 2-under 70 yesterday for a share of the lead with Geoff Ogilvy and John Senden at 8 under during the suspended second round of the Shell Houston Open at Humble, Texas.

Casey was one of only five players to complete two rounds yesterday after high wind suspended play Thursday afternoon. Play was stopped yesterday with 65 players on the course and 72 others scheduled to start their second rounds this morning. Ogilvey was 3 under after 14 holes and Senden was 1 under after 10 holes.

Hawai'i's Parker McLachlin, a Punahou alum, opened with a 73 and was 1 over (2 over for the tournament) after 16 holes of his second round. Kamehameha alum Keoke Cotner shot a 77 and bogeyed his only hole in the second round. Castle High alum Dean Wilson shot a 75, then withdrew with a sore back.

Estoril Open: Ross McGowan of England shot a second-round, 2-over 73 yesterday, but retained his lead by one stroke in the Estoril Open at Cascais, Portugal.

McGowan, who fired a 7-under 64 Thursday, is at 5-under 137 at Oitavos Dunes Club. Rookies Carlos del Moral of Spain (71) and Chris Doak of Scotland (70) are at 138.