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ASSOCIATED PRESS Honolulu 12-year-old Michelle Wie shot a 77 in the first round of the LPGA Wendy's Championship yesterday. She watched her approach shot on the first hole, which she eventually birdied.

Wie cards 77 in LPGA tourney

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Associated Press

DUBLIN, Ohio >> Win or lose this weekend, Michelle Wie is going to Disney World.

The twelve-year-old from Honolulu shot a 5-over-par 77 in yesterday's opening round of the Wendy's Championship for Children at Tartan Fields Golf Club.

But regardless of whether she makes the 36-hole cut, Wie said she plans to make a trip to Disney World in Florida later this month before returning to start eighth grade at Punahou.

Wie and the rest of the field are chasing Scotland's Mhairi McKay, who was 5-under in her first five holes and shot a 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Rosie Jones.

McKay came to Ohio because of the uncertainty of the weather in Scotland and the fact that she was barred from playing on her home course, which is the site of the British Open.

"I felt my time would be just as well spent competing and working on my game in good weather here," McKay said after matching her low round of the year on tour.

Seven of the top 10 LPGA money-winners skipped the Wendy's event to get ready for the year's final major championship at Turnberry.

Starting her afternoon round on the 10th tee, McKay parred the first hole and then had a birdie, birdie, eagle and birdie on the next four holes.

McKay rolled in a 22-foot birdie putt at No. 11, hit a sand wedge to 10 feet at No. 12 and her 3-wood second shot on the par-5 13th came to rest 10 feet from the hole. After making the eagle putt, she hit a lob wedge to 15 feet on the next hole for a birdie.

She barely missed birdie putts on the next three holes.

"I'm ecstatic the way I played," she said. "I struck the ball really well and managed to make some putts, so I'm delighted."

Jones was tied for the lead with McKay before bogeying her 15th hole of the day. Still fighting a lingering head cold that knocked her out of a pro-am Thursday, Jones had difficulty remembering any of the shots or distances from her round.

"I was fried before I started," said Jones, who locked herself away in her mobile home while trying to conquer her cold. "I went to the store yesterday, got about four movies and some chicken soup and orange juice."

She closed her round by blasting out of a greenside bunker to 5 feet on the par-5 ninth hole, then hitting the birdie putt to move into second place by herself.

Futures Tour veteran Michele Vinieratos, playing in the third group off the tee in the morning, posted her lowest LPGA round with seven birdies and two bogeys for a 67.

Lowery leads International: At Castle Rock, Colo., Steve Lowery carded seven birdies and one bogey to claim the second-round lead in The International.

Lowery, who began the day with 8 points under the modified Stableford scoring system, overcame windy conditions to score 13 points and boost his total to 21.

Craig Barlow was second with 17 points, Mark Brooks had 15 and British Open champion Ernie Els 14.

First-round leader Steve Pate, who compiled 11 points on Thursday, added none yesterday. Also at 11 were Billy Mayfair, Jay Haas and Australian Geoff Ogilvy.

The scoring system awards 5 points for eagle, 2 for birdie, zero for par, minus-1 for bogey and minus-3 for double bogey or worse.

Birdie spree lifts Irwin: At Jericho, N.Y., Hale Irwin had seven birdies over the final 12 holes and shot a 7-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Gil Morgan after the opening round of the Long Island Classic.

Irwin, who has 34 wins in his eight seasons on the Senior PGA Tour and leads the money list this year, "tweaked" his stance last week and it paid immediate dividends.

Irwin parred the first six holes before making the first, and longest, of his birdie putts, a 12-footer on the par-3 seventh.

Bennett ahead in Scandinavian Masters: At Stockholm, Sweden, England's Warren Bennett got a lucky bounce off a tree late in the round and shot a 1-under-par 70 for a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Scandinavian Masters.

Bennett was at 6-under 136 on the Kings Course at Kungsangen Golf Club.

Larraneta leads Norwegian Masters: At Oslo, Norway, Spain's Ana Larraneta shot a 3-under par 69 for a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Norwegian Masters.

Larraneta has a 36-hole total of 137, one stroke ahead of Samantha Head.