Rancho Mirage, Calif. ? Michelle Wie shot a 2-under 70 to begin the LPGA sectional qualifying tournament Tuesday, then declined to talk to reporters about the round that put her in solid position in the 164-player field.

The 18-year-old Wie made her debut in the qualifying process with five birdies and three bogeys on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club, where she has finished in the top 10 in three of her four starts in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Despite the strong start in the 72-hole qualifying event, Wie emerged from the scoring room and informed her agent that she wouldn’t do any interviews until Friday’s final round.

Wie’s 70 put her four shots behind Sun-Ju Ahn of South Korea. Ahn, one of 12 Korean players in the field, had six birdies and no bogeys in her round and is three shots ahead of a group of six players at 69. Wie is in a group at 70 that includes Stacy Lewis, who tied for third in the U.S. Women’s Open in June.