The 25-year-old fired a six-under-par 66 on the North Course at Berkeley Hall Club – the lowest 18-hole score in championship history – for a 36-hole total of eight-under.

Her 136 total broke the previous 36-hole scoring record set by two-time champion Julia Potter-Bobb in 2019 at Forest Hills G.C. by two strokes. Peng, who earned the No.1 seed for match play that begins on Monday, finished eight strokes clear of 2018 champion Shannon Johnson and Jamie Freedman, both of whom finished at even-par 144.

“It was an unbelievable day. I was just out there having a good time; putts were dropping, and I got lucky on a couple shots. I haven’t played like this in years.” - Jennifer Peng. 

Peng, who shared the 18-hole first-round lead with Johnson and Sarah Gallagher after shooting two-under 70 on Saturday, took advantage of scoring opportunities early on Sunday. Starting on the 10th tee, she birdied the first two holes and picked up a third on the par-3 14th.

“It was an unbelievable day. I was just out there having a good time; putts were dropping, and I got lucky on a couple shots. I haven’t played like this in years,” said Peng.

For the second consecutive day, she made an eagle on the par-5 15th – this time without the need for her putter. After hitting her second into the front-right greenside bunker, Peng holed out her third.

“It bounced on the green, had the perfect break and went right in. We were all shocked,” said Peng, a 2018 Yale University graduate who recently relocated back to her native San Diego after working in New York City following college. “I can’t remember the last time I had an eagle in tournament play and now here I did it on the same hole.”

After trading a pair of birdies and bogeys on her second nine, Peng capped her round by rolling in a 50-foot putt for birdie on the 373-yard, par-4 ninth.

Three-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion Lara Tennant shot 74-71 to earn the No.4 seed, while Lana Weant finished 73-72 to earn the No.5 seed. Tennant, 54, carded the lone under-par round of the morning wave, and one of only three on the day.

“I feel like my game is in a good spot. The course is tough, but I’m figuring out where to place the ball,” said Tennant, who won her third consecutive Senior Women’s Am title 10 days ago in Alabama. “I had a couple good birdie putts that went in, so that’s always fortunate.”

The cut for match play came at 15-over 149, with five players vying for the final spot in the match-play draw.