Rosales leads, Wie chases in Hawaii

Three years ago, all Michelle Wie wanted to do was make the cut. Now, she wants to win.

The 15-year-old star shot a second straight 2-under-par 70 and trailed leader Jennifer Rosales by five strokes heading into Saturday's final round of the LPGA Tour's season-opening SBS Open.

``In my first tournament, I was really nervous. I had no idea what to expect,'' she said. ``The more tournaments I play, the more I feel comfortable. I've grown a lot as a person and a golfer and I'm really proud of that.''

Playing on her home island of Oahu, Wie was tied for fifth at 4-under 140 and is trying to supplant Marlene Hagge as the youngest golfer to win an LPGA event. Hagge was 18 when she won the 1952 Sarasota Open.

``Of course if (Rosales) makes a lot of birdies, it's going to be tough to catch her, but if I can make a lot of birdies early on, who knows what can happen,'' Wie said.

Rosales, who is trying to finish a wire-to-wire victory, had four bogeys and seven birdies in a wild round of 69 that moved her to 9-under 135. She managed to keep the lead with four birdies in the last five holes.

Wie's playing partner, Reilley Rankin, had a 66 and was second at 137.

Rosales, whose first LPGA victory came at last year's Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, said she struggled reading the tricky winds and felt her lead slipping away.

``The whole day I was in-between clubs and I couldn't figure it out,'' she said. ``I hit too short. I hit too long.''

But she found the range to set up her late birdie run.

``Finally at the end, I hung in there and finished strong,'' Rosales said.

Players were forced to deal with intermittent showers and ocean winds whipping up to 20 mph Friday.

Wie is hoping for a little help from Mother Nature on Saturday.

``The perfect condition would be for it to blow really hard when other people play, but quiet down when I play,'' she said. ``I know that's not going to happen.''

Cristie Kerr (68) was three strokes off the pace at 138, and LPGA veteran Rosie Jones shot a second-round 69 and was at 139.

Rankin, who had a career-best eighth-place finish at last year's Takefuji Classic, missed seven greens, but scrambled well, finishing with seven birdies and one bogey in the second round on the Palmer Course at Turtle Bay. She made birdie on four of her last seven holes and needed just 24 putts in the round.

Rankin, of Hilton Head, S.C., said she didn't mind playing with Wie, even though she felt like a ``midget'' compared to the 6-foot teenager.

``I was excited when I saw the pairings because I knew there would be a big gallery,'' Rankin said.

Wie made the cut for the 10th straight time in an LPGA tournament. She has missed the cut just four times in 18 overall events, including three as a 12-year-old in 2002.

``Of course I wanted to be closer, but the way the winds are blowing, I think I posted a good score,'' Wie said.

The hometown favorite and only amateur in the event, Wie charged up the leaderboard, making three birdies on the front nine to get within a stroke of the early lead.

She made an 8-foot birdie putt on the 511-yard, par-5 ninth to reach 5-under, drawing a roar from the gallery packed three-deep around the green.

Wie struggled on the back nine, making what she called two ``stupid bogeys'' when she overshot the green on No. 11 and fell short on No. 12. She made par on the next five holes before making a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th.

Wie had six top-20 finishes in seven LPGA events last year, including a fourth-place finish in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the tour's first major of the year.

She was in the final group at the Nabisco and eventually lost to Grace Park by four strokes.

``I was hitting the ball really good (at Nabisco), but I was not putting good,'' she said. ``Tomorrow, I just have to focus on my putting and make all my crucial putts.''

Lorena Ochoa followed an opening 68 with a 72 and was tied with Wie and Hee-Won Han (70) at 140.

Wie will be paired with Jones and Han in the second-to-last group on Saturday.

Nicole Perrot turned in the shot of the day, recording her first hole-in-one in an LPGA tour event, using a 4-iron to ace the 160-yard 13th. She was at 141.

Park, who had 12 top-10 finishes last year, struggled in the windy conditions. She made bogey on four of her last 10 holes and had a 4-over 76. She was tied with veteran Juli Inkster (77), 19-year-old Brittany Lincicome (76) and 18-year-old Paula Creamer (73) at 146.

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