Just ask Bailey Tardy.

A struggling LPGA Tour rookie who had to earn her card via the Q-Series last fall after finishing outside the top-10 on the Epson Tour money list by less than $2,000 has found something through two rounds of the 78th U.S Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.

On Friday, Tardy, who had missed five cuts in 10 LPGA Tour events, used her 7a.m. tee time to full advantage, posting a second-consecutive round in the 60s on the 6,424-yard, par-72 layout to grab the 36-hole lead.

Buoyed by a front-nine 31, which included an eagle on the 6th and a birdie on the par-3 7th on consecutive days, Tardy carded a four-under 68 in cool but overcast conditions to match the championship’s lowest round.

At seven-under, the 2016 USA Curtis Cup competitor leads Allisen Corpuz and 2014 Amundi Evian champion Hyo Joo Kim by two strokes. Hae Ran Ryu (72) is four strokes back, while Leona Maguire (74) and 2021 runner-up Nasa Hataoka (74) were the only other players under par through 36 holes at one-under. Minjee Lee dropping out of the group at one-under with a double bogey at her last hole of the day, the 9th, to sit in a share of 11th on one-over.

The defending champion the best of the Aussies, with Hannah Green (T26), Gabi Ruffels (T47) and Grace Kim (T58) all making the weekend.

Minjee Lee heads the Aussie charge in a share of 11th. PHOTO: USGA.

Coming off a missed cut in the year’s second major two weeks ago, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol, Tardy used the brief hiatus to work on her putting. She even contemplated ditching her flatstick, but instead put the club in a brief “timeout for three or four days,” while adding a Simpsons-themed headcover.

“I think I hit 16 out of 18 greens first round at KPMG and shot four-over,” Tardy said. “So it was on my putting there. I really focused on that in the off week, and it's worked out, I guess.”

Actually, where she’s done most of her damage the first two days is from the fairway at a venue known for being a second-shot course. Tardy ranks No.1 in strokes gained approach and is tied for first in greens in regulation, a vital statistic considering Pebble has some of the smallest green complexes in golf.

Add it all up and two of Tardy’s seven rounds in the 60s this season have come at this seaside paradise.

“Honestly I'm just enjoying the moment. I'm leading the U.S Open at Pebble Beach, and I think that's just something so special. I’m trying not to get too ahead of myself. There's so much golf left.” - Bailey Tardy.

It did help that she laced a 307-yard drive on the par-5 6th that set up a 183-yard approach to four feet to set up the eagle. And with favourable wind on No.7, she knocked her tee shot on the 107-yard hole to three feet. Two holes later, she left herself a 108-yard approach on the 434-yard, par-4 that she stuck to eight feet for what would be the day’s final birdie, although she had one more birdie chance on the par-5 closing hole but missed from seven feet.

“Honestly I'm just enjoying the moment,” said Tardy, competing in her fourth U.S Women’s Open but first since turning professional in 2017. “I'm leading the U.S Open at Pebble Beach, and I think that's just something so special. I’m trying not to get too ahead of myself. There's so much golf left.”

Kim, the runner-up in 2018, briefly reached seven- under for the championship with a birdie on the par-4 1st hole, her 10th of the day, but closed with consecutive birdies on Nos.8 and 9, statistically the hardest and sixth-toughest in Round Two.

Corpuz added a two-under 70 to the 69 she posted on Thursday.

Ryu, the owner of five professional wins in her native Korea, overcame two early bogeys with birdies on Nos.1 and 2. Like Corpuz and Tardy, she is seeking her first victory on the LPGA Tour. She owns three top-seven finishes in 2023, including solo third at the Americas Mizuho Open in New Jersey.

Hataoka and Maguire each have come close to winning majors. Maguire was in the final pairing two weeks ago at Baltusrol but wound up tied for 11th in the KPMG Women’s PGA following a Sunday 74.

Hataoka has lost play-offs in the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA and 2021 U.S Women’s Open at The Olympic Club to 2017 U.S Women’s Open champion Sung Hyun Park and Yuka Saso, respectively.