Michelle Wie back at LPGA Championship
Michelle Wie never took her driver out of the bag, trying to make it through the opening round of the LPGA Championship with an easy swing and smart decisions, both of which have been in short supply lately.
"It's a tough strategy for her," swing coach David Leadbetter said as he followed her around Thursday. "It's like owning a Ferrari and not being allowed to get out of second gear."
The good news for Wie is that the car didn't go off the road.
After a tumultuous week of criticism that put Wie under more pressure than she has faced in any round, the 17-year-old from Hawaii recovered from a sloppy start with three birdies in a four-hole stretch and a couple of key pars late in her round of 1-over 73, leaving her six shots behind the leaders but in decent shape to stay all four days at Bulle Rock.
Former U.S. Women's Open champion Birdie Kim came to life with a 5-under 67, leaving her atop the leaderboard at Bulle Rock with rookie Angela Park and Kim Saiki-Maloney.
Morgan Pressel got off to a good start in her bid for the second leg of the Grand Slam with a 68, joining seven-time major champion Karrie Webb and Laura Davies, who could qualify for the Hall of Fame with a victory in this major.
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