The defending champion Annika Sorenstam fired a 6-under par 66, but it was not good enough to match first-round leaders Lorena Ochoa and Siew-Ai Lim, who carded 65s. Michelle Wie is in danger of missing the cut at 73.

Sorenstam is in good position to defend her title at the Safeway International, said of her 66 "That's the kind of start I wanted, and then we go from there." Veteran Juli Inkster was also at -6. Karen Stupples shot 67, Soo-Yun Kang, Sung Ah Yim, and Moira Dunn shot 68s. Several players shot 69 Thursday, including Paula Creamer, Beth Daniel, Natalie Gulbis, Dawn Coe-Jones, and Karrie Web.

Michelle Wie, playing in the first group off the back nine, was one over coming to 18, the only hole with water. She promptly double-bogeyed the par-5 finishing hole after hooking her drive into the pond and then hitting a 3-wood into the pond on her approach. She got up and down from a bunker to salvage the double bogey. Said Wie of the conditions she faced, "It was super cold. I couldn't even feel my hands, so the first nine I had absolutely no feel of my putts." Wie will give it another shot tomorrow, and said "I'll try to make a lot of birdies tomorrow and try and make a lot more putts. Try to be more in the fairway."

Lim is the only Malaysian on the LPGA Tour and finished with four birdies after three-putting the 14th from 80 feet. Ochoa, the Mexican star who played college golf at the University of Arizona (a few years after Sorenstam), birdied the first four holes and came back from a bogey at seven with birdies on 8, 9, 11, and 16.

Pos   Player               Tot      R1
T1    Siew-Ai Lim           -7      65
T1    Lorena Ochoa          -7      65
T3    Annika Sorenstam      -6      66
T3    Juli Inkster          -6      66
 5    Karen Stupples        -5      67
T6    Soo-Yun Kang          -4      68
T6    Sung Ah Yim           -4      68
T8    Candie Kung           -3      69
T8    Karrie Webb           -3      69
T8    Dawn Coe-Jones        -3      69
T8    Beth Daniel           -3      69
T8    Natalie Gulbis        -3      69
T8    Moira Dunn            -3      69
T8    Paula Creamer         -3      69

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