Ahn leads Wie by three at LPGA qualifying tournament

South Korean Sun-Ju Ahn fired her second straight 66 here Wednesday to hold a three-shot lead over Michelle Wie at the LPGA Sectional Qualifying School.

Ahn had a 12-under total of 132 after two days of play at Mission Hills Country Club.

Eighty-two players made the halfway cut.

Ahn, playing the Arnold Palmer Course, posted back-to-back birdies on holes three and four.

Coming home she had three birdies, one bogey and an eagle at the par-five 18th, where she drained a putt from the fringe.

"My driving was not great today, but my short game was good," she said. "I worried about the Palmer Course before I played today, but I feel confident now especially going into the last two rounds."

Ahn has four career victories on the KLPGA, including three in 2007.

Wie the precocious pro who turned to Q-school after failing to earn enough money on sponsors' exemptions to secure her spot on tour, carded the low round of the week with a seven-under-par 65 on the Palmer Course that included seven birdies.

She was alone in second on 135.

Japan's Miki Saiki (68) and Sweden's Anna Nordqvist (67) were tied for third on 137.

Players are competed on both the Arnold Palmer and Dinah Shore courses at Mission Hills in the first two rounds. The final two rounds will be played on the Dinah Shore course.

The top 30 players and ties at the end of 72 holes advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, December 3-8.

A second sectional qualifying event is scheduled for September 30-October 3 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida.

The top-30 finishers and ties from that qualifier will join the California qualifiers as well as current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their status and the players who finished sixth through 15th on the final 2008 Duramed Futures Tour money list in the final qualifying tournament.