HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — Se Ri Pak shot 73, but it was good enough to get her into the Hall of Fame.

Michelle Wie posted the same score and had reason to celebrate for other reasons at the LPGA Championship.

At least she finished.

A week after she caused a firestorm of criticism for pulling out of the Ginn Tribute with sore wrists and hitting balls two days later, the 17-year-old swung easy, played smart and left her driver in the bag Thursday.

It left her six shots behind the leaders and in decent shape to stick around all four days.

But it was a start.

"I built a lot of confidence on this round," she said, repeating the phrase in some fashion four times in the five questions her handlers allowed after a 5Z\x-hour round that finished at sundown.

Wie described her game as "great today," even though it was the first time in nine trips around Bulle Rock that she failed to break par. She was proud of how she "kept it in the short stuff," even though she hit only five fairways.

Indeed, expectations are much different these days.

Already dealing with two bad wrists, one that was broken during a fall in January that kept her away from competition for four months, Wie faced an onslaught of criticism for quitting after 16 holes at the Ginn Tribute, then showing up at Bulle Rock to practice on weekend.

It got even worse when Annika Sorenstam, the biggest star in women's golf and the tournament host last week, accused her of lacking class and respect for her behavior. That was after LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens spoke to the teen's father and agent about conduct the commissioner declined to discuss.

Given that soap opera, Thursday was perhaps the greatest pressure Wie has faced in any single round.

"I'm just going to think positively," Wie said. "It's a work in progress and hopefully, it's going to be better and better."

The leaders became an afterthought on this steamy day north of Baltimore.

Former U.S. Women's Open champion Birdie Kim, who virtually has disappeared since holing that bunker shot on the 72nd hole to win at Cherry Hills two years ago, opened with a 5-under 67 to share the lead with rookie Angela Park, who played in her group. Joining them was Kim Saiki-Maloney, who struggled to remember how she made her six birdies.