Changkija and Anderson in front by one

Seven players finished the day at five-under par, including veteran Cristie Kerr.

“I got off to a pretty fast start … really took advantage of the soft and score-able conditions this morning”, she said. “I’ve been hitting it really well”.

Changkija, who entered the week ranked No. 485 in world ranking, was so unfamiliar with being in contention, she stunned reporters by brushing off a tour representative’s attempt to get her to speak to the media after her round, an established duty for contenders, saying she would do it later. “I just wasn’t making putts”. “You have to learn at every single level, so for me it started at local tournaments, then to national amateur tournaments, collegiate… but this is a whole other ballgame”. I went to a Cure putter.

Defending champion Austin Ernst, whose lone career win came in last year’s Portland Classic, was 3-under through 12 holes, but suffered bogeys on Nos. “It seems to be working well for me”.

Henderson and Granada both enjoyed had bogey-free rounds and made six birdies apiece in their rounds of 66. The Canadian, who doesn’t turn 18 until September, has made $466,818 in nine LPGA Tour tournaments this year. She was two strokes better than the 68 she shot on Monday to earn a spot in the field. She said that was helpful during the first round.

“I felt much more comfortable in the first round because I’ve already played this golf course in a competitive atmosphere this week”, she said.

Lydia Ko’s hopes of challenging for another title on the LPGA Tour stalled with an even-par second round at the latest stop in the United States.

Anderson, who didn’t drop a shot on the day, made five consecutive birdies from the fourth to the eighth hole.