Wie Shoots 65 to Share Early Lead at LPGA Q-School

After hitting only four drivers on the Legends course Wednesday — a tighter, more punishing track — Wie was far more aggressive in the second round and holed enough putts for her lowest round on the LPGA Tour since a 65 at the Samsung World International in 2005, the week of her pro debut (which also ended in disqualification).

Swing coach David Leadbetter wasn't around, but Wie carried out his hopes — avoid mistakes and big numbers. There was nothing close to the quintuple-bogey 9 that knocked her out of the U.S. Women's Open this year, and even the three fairways she missed in the second round were not far from her target.

The longest putt she had for par came on No. 11, her second hole, when she ran a 25-foot birdie attempt 4 feet past the hole. Wie took only 24 putts, helped by three simple up-and-downs and a 40-foot chip she holed for birdie on No. 17.

She missed birdie putts of 8 feet and 6 feet on consecutive holes early on her back nine, and while she continued to hit driver, Wie also stayed conservative on the par 5s by laying up three times when she could have reached the green. On the fifth, she had only 210 yards off a slight hill, but played a short iron and then stuffed a wedge to 3 feet.

That began the late run of birdies. She hit her tee shot to 7 feet on the 145-yard sixth, holed another 7-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole and closed out her birdie string with an 8-foot putt.

Through two days on each course, Wie's only mistake has been a three-putt bogey from 25 feet Wednesday.

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