A flawless 7-under 65 has positioned Minjee Lee to continue the Aussie dominance at the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship.

The champion at Wilshire Country Club in 2019, Lee wielded her long putter with ever-increasing expertise in Round 2 at El Caballero Country Club to take the solo lead at 12-under in the clubhouse.

The 28-year-old would be surpassed by two-time Women’s Australian Open champion Ashleigh Buhai (68) and Swedish rookie Ingrid Lindblad (63) by days end but will start Round 3 just one stroke off the lead.

Two-time defending champion Hannah Green kept her hopes of a three-peat alive with a round of 5-under 67 highlighted by a monster, left-to-right putt across a ridge for eagle at the par-5 16th.

Green will start Round 3 in a tie for 19th and five strokes off the lead as her fellow West Australian chases her first win since the BMW Ladies Championship in October 2023.

A switch to a long putter has already yielded two top-five finishes this season and is instilling confidence on the greens with the start of major season just a week away.

“Hit it really solid and holed quite a number of good-length putts,” said the two-time major winner.

“For the most part, the greens were releasing out, so I felt like I wasn’t right next to the holes. I holed a bunch of really nice-length putts.

“I feel like I’ve been improving week in, week out. I think I’ve been getting better every time I’ve been playing.

“Having a little bit longer stretch of events hopefully I can get some momentum.”

While the tournament venue may have changed, Lee is again tapping into the LA atmosphere that she revels in.

“At Wilshire, it really reminded me of the Melbourne Sandbelt kind of vibe, but out here its different,” she added.

“I like LA and I like the west coast. It just reminds me a little bit more of home for some reason.

“Maybe that’s why; a little bit of home.”

Of the nine Aussies in the field this week, Lee and Green were two of four to make the cut along with Stephanie Kyriacou (8-under, T19) and Hira Naveed (4-under, T61).