Michelle Wie is off to her most consistent start in an LPGA season since turning pro nine years ago.
It was more of the same during Wednesday’s first round of the LPGA Lotte Championship at Ko Olina Golf Club for the Punahou alumna, who fired a 2-under 70 to sit tied for fifth place.
Wie’s round was her 22nd under par out of 25 in 2014 and her 16th of 2 under or better.
A runner-up at the Kraft Nabisco Championship two weeks ago, Wie, who leads the tour in scoring average and greens in regulation, hit 14 out of 18 greens and nine of 14 fairways in tough windy conditions.
"It wasn’t easy out there. I’ll take it," Wie said. "I positioned myself quite well today."
Wie has yet to finish lower than 16th in a tournament this season and is two shots behind a trio of golfers who shot 68.
She is off to her hottest start as a professional, playing with a short memory and avoiding blowup holes.
Wie hasn’t shot worse than 1 over in any round this season and didn’t let a bogey on the opening hole throw off her round.
She started on the back nine and three-putted on the par-4 10th before stringing together five straight pars.
After nearly holing out on the par-3 16th, Wie birdied four out of six holes during a stretch on the front nine before settling for a 70.
"I started off with a bogey but just kind of hung in there and was patient all day today," she said.
With a gallery of roughly 100 people watching her every shot, Wie teed off in the afternoon with the wind howling through the course.
She was over par through six holes before the shot of the day on 16.
Wie’s iron shot landed just short of the green before bouncing on and rolling right up to the hole, diving off just to the right to just miss a hole-in-one.
"My caddie and I, we decided the next time I would get a hole-in-one we would have like an epic chest bump," Wie said. "We were both getting ready and I was like, Wait a second, how did that not go in?’
"I was kind of confused there for a little bit, but I’ll take it on that hole."
She began her ascent up the leaderboard with birdies on Nos. 2 and 3. The par-5s played difficult in winds that gusted above 30 mph and Wie yanked her tee shot right on No. 5, bouncing it into the water.
After taking a drop, she had a long putt for par that just missed, and again showed off a short memory as she came back to birdie the next two to get within one shot of the lead.
"It was just a bad tee shot on that hole," Wie said of her drive. "It was a stupid hit in the water, but that hole was playing really hard and I made some putts coming in, which felt good."
Wie finished 1 over on the four par-5 holes but birdied four of the last five par-4’s she played.
After the round, she spoke repeatedly about the tough conditions, but said she’s ready for whatever comes the next three days.
"I definitely like a challenge, definitely like if the wind blows, (but) if it dies down, it would be fun to make more birdies and stuff like that too," Wie said. "I’m not going to expect anything. I’m having a blast out here and like I said, I think I’m in a good position and we’ll see what I can do the next three days."
