Tres Marias Championship - 2nd Round

Michelle Wie holds a two-shot lead (-13) after the second round of the Tres Marias Championship.  Brittany Lincicome is in second place at -11, Ai Miyazato is third at -10, Na Yeon Choi is fourth at -9 and Jee Young Lee is fifth at -8.

Wie followed up her first-round 66 with a 67 on Friday.  She reached -15 with a birdie at 16 but bogeys at the last two holes cut her halfway-point lead in half.  Lincicome's 67 today featured an ace at 13.  Miyazato couldn't match her Thursday 63 - four birdies and four bogeys gave her an even-par 73.  Choi's 68 made her the third player (after Wie and Lincicome) to break 70 each day.  Lee's 67 propelled her into contention.  Defending champion Lorena Ochoa slipped from 66 to 73 but sits at -7 in a six-way tie for sixth with Kristy McPherson, Karen Stupples, Jeong Jang, Stacy Lewis and Sarah Jane Smith.  Azahara Munoz was in second place after opening with a 65 but a 76 sent her plummeting to -5 T16.

The cut fell to +2 and claimed Sun Young Yoo, Hee Young Park, Natalie Gulbis, Vicky Hurst and Grace Park.  Mariajo Uribe also missed the cut despite posting a 67 on Thursday - an 85 did her in.  Brittany Lang, Christina Kim, Morgan Pressel and Juli Inkster held on to play over the weekend.  Several big names withdrew after poor Thursday starts.  Angela Stanford and Se Ri Pak couldn't break 80 while Mi Hyun Kim pulled out after posting a 79. 

As in past seasons, Tres Marias is playing as "feast or famine" - good shots being rewarded with birdie or eagle chances with poor shots often leading to big numbers.  Maybe I've had it all wrong about the elevated par of 73.  Perhaps its purpose is intended more to soothe the souls of the defeated rather than to bolster the leaders' video game-like numbers.