Michelle Wie began the defense of her CN Canadian Women’s Open today

Michelle Wie began the defense of her CN Canadian Women’s Open today by sinking two long putts en route to a share of the clubhouse lead at 5-under 67 on a wet day at Hillsdale Gold Club.

Wie holed a 60-foot birdie on the par-5 fifth and closed with a 45-foot birdie on her 18th to tie fellow American Angela Stanford and South Korean Kim Mi Hyun for the lead with half the field still on the course.

She began using the longer putter after the U.S. Open in July.

“You know, I like my putter,” said the former teenage phenom who has splits her time between golf and studies at Stanford University. “Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been toying with different grips and different ways to do it.

“But it’s feeling pretty good and I’ve got to keep working on it. Putting is something I always need to work on. Obviously, making two long putts help the score. Hopefully I can make a couple more of them over the next couple of days.”

Wie is defending an LPGA title for only the second time in her career.

The Hawaii native grabbed the first-round lead with a 7-under 65 and rode it to victory at the 2010 Canadian Women’s Open in Winnipeg. That opening round featured a hole-in-one.

Source AP