GLADSTONE, N.J. — That beer will have to wait.

With 40 yards' advantage off the tee and a few moments of putting bravado, Michelle Wie made seven birdies to turn back Christina Kim, 3 and 2, yesterday and advance to the third round of the HSBC Women's World Match Play championship.

Kim, a 22-year-old Type A who is among the LPGA's more flamboyant players, had, the day before, set up the match against Wie with her playful chatter.

"If I were to end up beating her," Kim said, "I would be able to look her in the eye and chug a beer, because I'm legal and she's not."

On this day, however, after watching Wie hit what Kim acknowledged were several "jaw-dropping" shots, Wie, 16, was moving on and Kim was not.

Joining Wie are most of the LPGA's leading names — including her third-round opponent Se Ri Pak — giving the two-year-old event a vitality it lacked in 2005.

The top five players in the world (according to the new Rolex world rankings) reached the third round, producing several intriguing matchups for this morning's session. Wie, ranked No. 2 in the world, will face Pak, whose 2006 resurgence was highlighted by her win at the McDonald's LPGA Championship.

The match was scheduled for 1:27 a.m. Hawai'i time today.

In the opposite bracket, Karrie Webb will play Pat Hurst, who is coming off a runner-up finish at the U.S. Women's Open. Webb has been dominant so far in match play, winning her opening matches 4 and 2 (over Nancy Scranton) and 5 and 4 (over Gloria Park).

And though she continues to plead exhaustion after Monday's 18-hole playoff at the Women's Open, Hurst soldiers on. She won on the 21st hole Thursday against Reilley Rankin, then eliminated Helen Alfredsson 4 and 2 yesterday.

This morning's other gem pairs the favorite daughters of the LPGA's marketing department, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel. Creamer eliminated defending champ Marisa Baena 5 and 3. Pressel topped 2005 runner-up Meena Lee 2 and 1.

Women's Open champ Annika Sorenstam advanced to play Brittany Lang, and world No. 3 Lorena Ochoa came back from 4-down after 10 holes to defeat Karine Icher 1-up. Ochoa will face Mi Hyun Kim this morning.

The $2 million event at Hamilton Farm Golf Club has drawn bigger crowds than last year, partly in the welcome wake of the Women's Open. But Wie is by far the biggest draw, and her match against Kim did not disappoint.

Though they profess a great friendship, the two yielded to their competitive sides yesterday. Wie walked 40 yards ahead of Kim on most holes (after driving 40 yards past her), and neither conceded many putts.

But Wie pounced on the par 5s, playing them in 4 under and winning all four holes. Wie laid up at only one par 5 (the 533-yard second) and was on or near the green at the others in two.

"She hit so many shots out there today that were just jaw-dropping," Kim said.

Wie also trumped Kim on the green at key moments. She made a tricky five-foot birdie putt at No. 14 to take a 2-up lead, then took control of the match with a follow-up birdie at No. 15.

After Kim struck a 140-yard 9 iron to 10 feet, Wie cozied a 100-yard wedge to 8 feet—on the same putting line. Kim made the birdie putt, which Wie followed, leading to a adrenaline-surged fist pump. Wie closed out the match at 16 after Kim drove her tee shot into a fairway bunker.

In the biggest turnaround of the day, Icher birdied the 10th hole to take a 4-up lead against Ochoa with eight to play.

After reaching the 11th in two and making birdie, Ochoa evened the match by winning three straight holes from 13-15. She shot a 4-under 32 on the back nine and clinched her comeback at 18, where Icher made bogey.

"I'm going to make sure I have a better start (today) and hopefully it won't be as hard as it was (yesterday)," Ochoa said.