Wie moves to 5 under at Lotte Championship

Michelle Wie made a move up the leaderboard with a hot start Thursday morning and finished the day with a 3-under-par 69 in the second round of the Lotte Championship on Thursday at Ko Olina Golf Club.

Wie, the defending tournament champion, began the day tied for 15th after a 70 on Wednesday and was tied for fifth at 5 under for the tournament when she signed her scorecard on Thursday.

She’ll enter the third round on Friday five shots behind co-leaders Sei Young Kim and I.K. Kim and tied for eighth with Japan’s Ai Miyazato, the 2012 Lotte champion, and Haru Nomura.

Wie will tee off at 11:41 a.m. on Friday with Miyazato and Jenny Shin.

Wie started on No. 10 Thursday morning and her round was highlighted by an eagle from 117 yards out on the par-4 15th hole. She birdied No. 17 to make the turn at 4 under for the day and 6 under for the tournament, two shots behind the leaders.

A wayward tee shot on No. 2 led to a momentum-stalling double bogey. But she birdied from the fringe on No. 6 and parred in from there.

“I started off really hot. I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t keep that going on the back nine, just had a couple of bad breaks,” Wie said. “But I just felt solid, same as yesterday. Just had to be patient in the wind. It was pretty gusty today.”

Sei Young Kim matched her opening round score with another 67 to move into the lead in the morning wave at 10 under. First-round leader I.K. Kim also moved to 10 under for the tournament with a 3 under 69.

Inbee Park is alone in third at 7 under for the tournament followed by Shin, Paula Creamer, Chella Choi and Mirim Lee at 6 under.