Tour rookies Gwladys Nocera and Beatriz Recari each shot a 6-under 66 on Friday and were tied for the lead after the second round of the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge, taking advantage of a rough day for Brittany Lincicome.
Recari had an eagle and five birdies over her final 10 holes to get to 10-under 134. Nocera finished with seven birdies.
Amy Hung was alone in third at 9 under. Michele Redman, Wendy Ward, Stacy Lewis and Ilhee Lee were at 136.
Lincicome, who shot a blistering 11-under 61 on Thursday to build a four-stroke lead, struggled off the tee all afternoon and shot a 76 that left her at 7 under. She had four bogeys and a triple bogey.
A 10-time winner on the European Tour before joining the LPGA, the 35-year-old Nocera overcame a rough start to match her best round of the season.
The Frenchwoman tied for 66th at last week's Navistar Classic and had broken par only once in 10 rounds before shooting a 68 on Thursday. Friday's 66 was the best score of the round and had her alone atop the leaderboard before Recari's late charge.
Nocera shared the lead despite starting her day with a bogey on the par-4, 383-yard first hole. She parred the next two holes then picked up birdies on five of the next six.
After making the turn at 8 under, Nocera birdied Nos. 13 and 15 to inch closer to the lead while Lincicome was sliding back to the pack.
Recari, meanwhile, was 1 over through her first eight holes before picking up five strokes over the next four holes. That included an eagle on the par-5, 475-yard 11th. The 23-year-old Spaniard had a chance to overtake Nocera but missed a long birdie putt on 18.
Lincicome, who has three career LPGA Tour titles, fought her driver all day. She pulled several tee shots left and had to scramble just to save par on some holes.
Lincicome's luck ran out after she birdied the par-5 11th to move to 12 under. She bogeyed the next two holes to fall into a tie with Nocera before carding a seven on the par-4, 390-yard 14th. She hit her tee shot into the sand, then went into a hazard before three-putting.
Defending champion Sophie Gustafson shot even par for the second straight day and is at 144, one stroke above the cut.
Cristie Kerr, who needs to finish second or better to overtake Ai Miyazato as the No. 1-ranked player in the world, is seven shots off the pace at 141. She shot a 68 that included an eagle on No. 11.
