Australia's Sarah Jane Smith is two shots off the lead after the second round of the Women's PGA Championship at Olympia Fields, Illinois.
World No.81 Smith followed up an opening-round 70 with a four-under par 67 to go five-under midway through the tournament.
She had seven birdies in her second round but bogeys on the third, 10th and 16th cost her what would have been the outright lead as she chases a maiden tour win.
Su Oh (75), Minjee Lee (72) and Katherine Kirk (70) are the next best Australians at one-over.
Veteran Australian Wendy Doolan at eight-over and former world No.1 Karrie Webb at 11-over will have the weekend off.
Talented pianist Danielle Kang hit all the right notes to move into a share of the lead with Sei Young Kim.
Twice US Women's Amateur champion Kang and South Korean Kim took advantage of ideal morning conditions to card rounds of five-under-par 66.
The leaders are on seven-under 135, one stroke ahead of five players including first-round pacesetter Amy Yang and her compatriots Chella Choi and My Hyang Lee.
Two-times major winner Brittany Lincicombe of America and Englishwoman Jodi Ewart Shadoff are also at six-under par.
Smith is tied for eighth along with world No.1 So Yeon Ryu or Korea, Thai Moriya Jutanugarn and Canadian Brooke Henderson, the championship's defending champion.
California-born Kang, a first generation American of Korean descent, is still seeking her first LPGA victory at the age of 24, though her progress has been halted by injury.
Playing with her left wrist heavily strapped after suffering a fracture last year, she described her condition as "playable".
Kang said her bogey-free round was set up by good approach shots.
"I kept sticking to the iron shots that I trusted all my life," she said.
"My day was really relaxing. It was stressful but relaxing. I kept giving myself birdie opportunities."
Co-leader Kim, the 2015 LPGA Rookie of the Year, bounced back into position to challenge for the title, having finished runner-up in this event two years ago.
She dropped four shots in three holes late in her first round, before making an adjustment that paid immediate dividends.
"I realised my grip was a little loose," the six-times LPGA Tour winner Kim said.
"I kept pulling it, three in a row (so made) a little adjustment, just stronger than before. That was key."
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