Michelle Wie, needing only a top-20 finish for a 2009 LPGA Tour berth, fired a seven-under par 65 Thursday to share the clubhouse lead in the second round of a qualifying tournament.

The 19-year-old Korean-American and Japan's Shiho Oyama each stood on 10-under par 134 after 36 holes in the five-day, 90-hole showdown over two courses but only 21 of 139 players were in the clubhouse.

Wie shared sixth after day one with an opening 69 on the more difficult Legends course and followed up with a strong second-round on the Champions layout.

Oyama, who led after a first-round 64 at Champions, followed with a 70 on the Legends course to match Wie atop the leaderboard, three strokes ahead of their nearest rival, American Mollie Fankhouser, who had five holes to finish.

Wie and Oyama were eight strokes ahead of a group of 16 players still on the course sharing 15th at 2-under par, the women on the borderline for the last spots on next year's elite women's pro golf series.

Wie has failed to match her considerable promise since becoming the youngest player to make a cut in an LPGA event, a feat she accomplished at age 13 in the 2003 Nabisco Championship.

Battling a wrist injury and enduring a disappointing 2008 campaign, Wie missed three cuts and was disqualified from another event in nine LPGA starts.

AFP

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