Reunion - Taiwanese rookie Yani Tseng shot an 8-under 64 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead over the field after two rounds of the LPGA's Ginn Open.
Tseng moved to a two-round total of 12-under 132, with Norway's Suzann Pettersen the nearest pursuer on 10-under.
World's No.1 Lorena Ochoa and Finland's Minea Blomqvist were a stroke further back.
Tseng, who earned her tour card in qualifying school in 2007, went a stroke better than Cristie Kerr's opening round at the Ginn in 2006. Only a bogey on the final hole prevented her taking a three-stroke advantage into the weekend.
Nonetheless, Tseng was ecstatic with her round that included five consecutive birdies and seven putts of 10 feet or longer.
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"It was awesome," she said.
"I feel I have a lot of confidence for my putting."
Her entire game has been solid this year. She ranks fifth in scoring average and has five top-25 finishes in as many starts.
She was second at the MasterCard Classic last month, 14th at the Safeway International and tied for 21st at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Pettersen checked out the leaderboard at one point, saw Tseng at 13 under and thought, "What course is she playing?"
"I was a little surprised when I saw that number," Pettersen said.
Tseng had hoped to start the third round in the final group with Ochoa. But Pettersen birdied her final hole - she just missed an eagle putt -and knocked Ochoa out of the closing threesome.
"I like coming from behind," Ochoa said.
"I don't think you have the pressure to be on top for four days. I really like where I am right now. I feel comfortable where I am. It's nice to be a few shots behind."
Ochoa missed every birdie putt she had during the first eight holes, but got things going on the par-5 No. 9. She just missed the green with her second shot, chipped to 6 feet and then sank the putt.
She followed with four more on the back nine, including an up-and-down from a green-side bunker at No. 10 and a 20-footer from the fringe on the 13th.
The Mexican has won four of five starts this year - by a combined 34 shots - and has three straight victories. Two of those wins came after the 26-year-old trailed early. She overcame a three-shot deficit at the Safeway and was down a stroke after the opening round at the Kraft.
No wonder she prefers being in chase mode.
"Even when I'm winning, I try to think that I'm behind and try to play my own game and make a lot of birdies," Ochoa said. "That's the only way to keep good focus and play good."
And playing from behind won't cause her to alter her easygoing demeanour.
"I always want to take everybody down," she said. "You can do it with a smile on your face and be nice and talking to them. You don't have to be mean or rude." - Sapa-AP
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