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Miyazato and Lee share first-round lead at LPGA's Sime Darby Malaysia

By PA Sport and Assciated Press
Published on
Miyazato and Lee share first-round lead at LPGA's Sime Darby Malaysia

Japan's Mika Miyazato and South Korea's Jee Young Lee shot 5-under 66s in steamy conditions Friday to share the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia lead, while Michelle Wie opened with a 68 in the round that was delayed for 3 hours because of lightning. "It was a pretty long delay," Wie said. "It was kind of frustrating because it was like 30 more minutes, 30 more minutes, but you got to do what you got to do. It was unfortunately a dangerous situation. There was nothing you could do about it. So we just sat around for a little bit." Wie, the Canadian Women's Open winner in late August, birdied three of her first five holes and reached 4 under with a birdie on No. 10, but dropped a stroke with a three-putt bogey on the par-3 15th. "I'm just going out there, just grinding," Wie said. "It's very hot, so you're taking one shot at a time." Miyazato, the Japan Women's Open winner this month, had five birdies in her bogey-free round. "It helped a lot," she said about her breakthrough victory in Japan. "I have more confidence." The long-hitting Lee had seven birdies and two bogeys on the 6,208-yard layout. "I hit driver like only three, four times," Lee said. "I just concentrated on fairway and greens." Hee-Won Han was third at 67, and Alena Sharp, Maria Hjorth and Shi Hyun Ahn matched Wie at 68. Jiyai Shin, Suzann Pettersen, Candie Kung, Song-Hee Kim, Amanda Blumenherst and Meena Lee shot 69s. Top-ranked Ai Miyazato struggled to a 76. Kelly Tan, a 16-year-old amateur, topped the five Malaysian players in the field, shooting a 71.