Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden surged to sole 36-hole lead at 9-under par 135 at the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial after shooting a 6-under 66 on Friday. Taiwan’s Chien Pei-Yun (錢珮芸) also recorded a career low round with a bogey-free 66, moving to solo second and two shots off.

Sagstrom fired seven birdies against just one bogey thanks to a steady display of irons and putter. She made 16 of 18 greens in regulation and needed just 28 putts.

Overnight leaders Ally McDonald and Sophia Popov both carded 1-under 71s to sit in a tie for fourth at two-round total of 138 with 18-year-old Japanese Kana Nagai, who is one of the five players raising the tournament low-round record to 66.

Taiwan’s Yeh Hsin-Ning (葉欣寧) made her first ever hole-in-one on the 130-yard fourth hole, followed by another eagle on the par-5 eleventh, finally turning in a 2-under 70 to move up 36 places from T64 to T28.

“I pulled out my 9-iron for the tee shot and I had a feeling it would be so good because it went exactly like what I pictured in my head,” said Yeh. “I’ve never made any ace in my entire career so I was yelling inside ‘please make it, please make it,’ and it did!” Yeh shared a big hug with long-time caddie Ni Pei-Yi (倪珮儀).

“I owe my playing partner a treat of some nice beers. It was too late when we finished and the restaurants were closed,” said Yeh. “But we will definitely make time for that!” Yeh scored another eagle when she made a chip from 25 yards in front of the green with a 58-degree wedge. She totaled two eagles, two birdies and four bogeys. It marks the first time Yeh scored two eagles in a single round.

Chien, the lead runner from the 15-player Taiwanese contingent, set her best personal single-round scoring mark posting a 66 with six birdies en route. She improved from a 67 when she had five birdies, bogey-free as well, in the Tong Hwa Golf & Country Club in Taipei in the opening round of the 2013 Yeang Der TLPGA Ladies Open.

Chien credited her third caddie in the third event this year for the breakthrough performance. “He helped me a great deal in reading the wind,” said Chien. “He was  making so good decisions for me in choosing the clubs as well. Although it’s been our first tournament together, I have great trust on him and all I had to do is to take his words and hit with confidence.”

Chien nailed a 40 feet putt to make birdie on the first hole to get her momentum. She sank five more mid-range birdie putts from 8 to 20 feet and also made two crucial par putts from 14 feet away along the way. Her solid iron play set up lots of opportunities. The no.9 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list only missed three fairways and made fifteen greens in regulation. “I hope I can keep this momentum and continue with this level of hitting and putting.” Chien needed 27 putts, three putts better than in Thursday’s first-round.

Chien’s fellow country woman and Symetra Tour member Cheng Ssu-Chia (程思嘉) shot a 74, Symetra Tour titlist Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒) shot a 71, and both finished their second rounds in a share of 37th with nine other players.

15-year-old amateur Chang Ya-Chun (張雅淳), who finished T2 last week in Lake Wales at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, had a 2-under 70 to sit in a tie for 20th at 143.

62 players made Friday’s cut at 3-over 147 and will play on the weekend alongside the Legends Tour field of 30 former LPGA stars. Tee time for Saturday’s third-round would be at 7:30 in the morning and the leader’s group tees off at 12:50.

The TLPGA Tour and the Symetra Tour forged a historic partnership in the off season to put two co-sanctioned tune-up events on the schedule-- the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic this past week and the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial-- to help TLPGA players get acclimated to playing in the U.S. ahead of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in San Francisco in late April.

The Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial, in memory of former LPGA superstar and founding member Patty Berg, has doubled the purse since its inaugural event in 2014 when the prize money was US$100,000 and the winner had US$15,000. In 2015, the purse increased to US$150,000 and this year, the total prize purse hit US$200,000 and the winner will walk away with US$30,000.

Berg was an active figure on the LPGA Tour during 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. She has won 15 majors, which remains an all-time record, and 60 career titles. Berg has been a member of the Hall of Fame since 1951.

Thirty former LPGA greats will come and join in the Cypress Lake Country Club in the Legends Tour event on Saturday for a purse of US$150,000 and a winner check worth US$19,500. There are a combined 327 LPGA Tour wins in the field and three players each contributed more than 40- Nancy Lopez (48), JoAnne Carner (43) and Sandra Haynie (42). Seven of them have been inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial is the second tournament on the 2016 Legends Tour. The Legends Tour event will conclude simultaneously on Sunday.