Michelle Wie shot a second straight 5-under-par 66 to take a two-stroke lead over So Yeon Ryu of South Korea before play was halted by rain in round two of the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark.
Wie, coming off her victory in the U.S. Women’s Open a week earlier at Pinehurst No. 2, started on the back nine and made her only bogey in the first 36 holes at No. 11 before collecting six birdies, including five on her last eight holes.
“It was pretty difficult out there with the wind, but I hit some good shots and good putts,” said the 24-year-old Wie, the Stanford grad who has won four times on the LPGA Tour. “I’ve learned not to look ahead, so I’m thinking about today and not tomorrow.
” … It has a different ring to it (being introduced as a major champion) on the first tee. It will take me a while to get used to it, but it’s pretty cool.”
Ryu, who has two LPGA titles among her 12 LPGA Tour victories, recorded a second 67, again making five birdies and a single bogey.
Chella Choi of South Korea shot 65 and was three shots back in a tie for third with Suzann Pettersen of Norway, who had a 67, and Line Vedel of Denmark, who was 4-under for the day after 13 holes when the horn sounded.
Top-ranked Stacy Lewis, the local favorite who played at the University of Arkansas, carded a 66 and was four strokes back in a tie for sixth with Mina Harigae, who also had a 66, and Mi Hyang Lee of South Korea, who finished at 65.
