Michelle Wie shot a two-under 70 to begin the US LPGA sectional qualifying tournament on Tuesday, then declined to talk to reporters about the round that put her in solid position in the 164-player field.

The 18-year-old Wie made her debut in the qualifying process with five birdies and three bogeys on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, where she has finished in the top 10 in three of her four starts at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Despite the strong start in the 72-hole qualifying event, Wie emerged from the scoring room and informed her agent that she wouldn't do any interviews until tomorrow's final round. She later refused to talk to reporters.

Wie's 70 put her four shots behind Ahn Sun-ju of South Korea. Ahn, one of 12 Korean players in the field, had six birdies in her round and is three shots ahead of a group of six players at 69. Wie is in a group at 70 that includes Stacy Lewis, who tied for third at the US Women's Open in June.

Lewis had five birdies and three bogeys on the Palmer Course, where half the field played on Tuesday. Golfers will switch courses today before the 36-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. The final two rounds will be on the Shore Course, with the low 30 players and ties advancing to the final qualifying event in December.

Both Wie and Lewis tried to qualify for the US LPGA Tour this year through earnings in their sponsor's exemption appearances.

But neither earned enough to match 80th place on the tour's official money list, the level needed for an exemption. Lewis' earnings in the US Open did not count toward her US LPGA earnings.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 18, 2008)