KOCHI, Japan (AP) – Michelle Wie was hoping to make the cut at a men’s event for the second time in 12 tries. Instead, she heads into the second round hoping to stay out of the cellar.

Wie shot a 9-over 81 on Thursday in the first round of the Casio World Open, a full 15 shots behind the leaders and in 101st place. That put her two strokes ahead of last-place Tomomichi Oto.

“I don’t think it was pressure,” Wie said. “My first couple of drives went left, and it was tough to get my rhythm back after that.”

Wie, who had nine bogeys, is making her second appearance in the Japanese tour event. Last year, she bogeyed the final two holes in the second round to miss the cut by a stroke in her first appearance in Japan.

Japan’s Azuma Yano and compatriot Tetsuhara Haraguchi were tied for the lead with India’s Jeev Milkha Singh after all three shot 66.

The 17-year-old star’s troubles started early on the Kuroshio Country Club course. After teeing off in light rain on No. 10, she bogeyed the par-4 12th hole and had four straight bogeys starting with the par-3 14th.

Despite failing to make a single birdie, Wie said she wasn’t too concerned about her game.

“I don’t think I was playing that bad,” she said. “My long game put a lot pressure on my short game. I have to get my confidence back on my drive and just hit the ball the way I always do and I’ll be fine.”

Wie has made the cut in one of her 11 starts on men’s tours, in May in the Asian Tour’s SK Telecom Open in South Korea.

In her last three men’s events, she withdrew from the John Deere Classic because of heat exhaustion after playing 27 holes in 8 over and finished last in the European Masters (78-79) and 84 Lumber Classic (77-81). She’s winless in 33 LPGA Tour appearances.

Wie is still confident about making the cut.

“I’ve been practicing and working on my game a lot,” she said. “I still have a positive mind-set for tomorrow.”

Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie withdrew from the event, citing personal reasons.

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