RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Lorena Ochoa made it look easy the first day with a record-tying 62, then grinded over every shot the next day for a 71 under increasingly tough conditions.

It was enough to keep a four-shot lead in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, even if not many noticed.

That might not be the case Saturday at Mission Hills.

In the 90 minutes after Ochoa completed two different rounds at 11-under 133, Michelle Wie navigated her way around the Dinah Shore course under gray skies and cool, blustery weather, trying to keep pace.

She finally missed a green on No. 6 — her 33rd hole of the tournament — and escaped with par. She could barely see her ball in thick grass behind the eighth green and nearly chipped in. And when Wie tapped in for par and a 1-under 71 on Friday, she was four shots behind and in the final group of the first LPGA Tour major of the year.

Joining them will be Karrie Webb, the youngest LPGA player to complete the career Grand Slam and the latest LPGA Tour player inducted into the Hall of Fame. She holed out from 152 yards with a 7-iron on the 15th hole on her way to a 68, which left her five shots behind Ochoa.

"I really like my position," Ochoa said. "I'm going to take one day at a time, come back tomorrow and enjoy a couple of more days."

This won't be new territory for Wie.

She was a 13-year-old amateur in the eighth grade when she first played in the Kraft Nabisco, shooting a 66 in the third round to get into the final group. She wore a retainer and received an allowance, and when she got to the first tee, she was out of her league.

Now comes another chance at Mission Hills.

"I was flabbergasted," Wie said. "I wanted a second try at it."

Even as a 16-year-old professional, with her name on the bag and millions in the bank, it won't be any easier. Ochoa has played superbly and smartly, firing at flags when the conditions were calm, not getting too aggressive when here chances to make birdie were minimal.

The 24-year-old Mexican was especially proud of two par saves.

She missed the fairway to the right on the sixth hole, which requires two carries over the water. Instead of taking her chances out of thick grass and over a pond guarding the green, she laid up and hit wedge from 90 yards into a foot to walk away with par and keep her momentum.

Toward the end of her round, her 5-iron went right of the par-3 17th green, leaving her a tough chip that had to run over a ridge and down toward the cup. She left it 3 feet away for par.