Washington, United States | AFP | Friday 7/21/2023 – 10:17

Paula Reto and Amelia Lewis combined for an eagle and eight birdies in the four-ball second round to take a one-shot lead Thursday in the Great Lakes Bay Invitational LPGA team event.

South Africa's Reto and American Lewis posted a nine-under-par 61, their 14-under total of 126 putting them one stroke in front of the duo of Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Emma Talley and first-round-leaders Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan.

Coming off a solid 65 in Wednesday's alternate-shot opening round, Reto and Lewis had an early bogey — and had to wait out a weather delay of more than two hours that thwarted their bid to build momentum at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan.

"When we got back out there we gave ourselves a little pep talking and just said 'One shot at a time, and let's give ourselves good opportunities,'" Lewis said.

"We made a lot of birdies," she added.

Reto holed her second shot at the par-four fifth hole for the eagle that highlighted their round.

"That's when we had our pep talk," Reto said. "I was, like, 'Hey, Amelia, let's not try too hard because we want to make birdies… one good shot at a time,'" said Reto, whose shot from off the fairway at the fifth took one hop and found the hole.

"I was like, OK, this could be the start of the birdie train."

England's Shadoff and American Talley climbed the leaderboard with 10 birdies in their 10-under-par 60 while Finland's Castren and Malaysia's Tan posted a 63.

"We seemed to have birdies on opposite holes, so that really helps," Shadoff said. "When we weren't having such good holes, we were there for each other with pars or birdies. So it was a real team effort."

France's Celine Boutier and Japan's Yuka Saso also posted a 63 to stand alone in fourth on 128.

The tournament continues Friday with another alternate-shot round, and concludes on Saturday with a final-round four-ball.