Sorenstam slightly ahead of pursuers

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Lorena Ochoa started with a birdie, pulling her even with Annika Sorenstam, the playing partner she replaced as the No. 1 female golfer in the world.

Two holes later, Sorenstam answered. And then again at the par-4 16th, rolling in a birdie putt from about 8 feet away after Ochoa briefly drew even with a tap-in from an inch.

So it went Friday in the Michelob Ultra Open, where sometimes driving rain and two rain delays did little to put a damper on a friendly duel between the game’s best players.

Sorenstam followed a 64 with a 66, leaving her at 12 under, three better than Ochoa, whose bogey at the last hole gave her 68, and Jeong Jang, who matched Sorenstam with her 66.

“I’m right there, so I’m excited,” Ochoa said.

The day wasn’t as good for Michelle Wie. Playing in her first tournament in 21‚Ñ2 months, the Stanford freshman followed a 4-over 75 with a 71 and missed the cut by four strokes.

“I just feel really rusty,” she said after making a birdie on the final hole to finish even on the day.

Twelve strokes off the pace at the start of the day, Wie took a backseat to the pairing that had Ochoa, Sorenstam and defending champion Suzann Pettersen playing together. Several thousand fans were waiting for them either at the 10th tee, where they started, or along the fairway, hoping to see the start of a battle classically reserved for weekends on the tour.