LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Australia's Hannah Green went from under the weather to on top of the leaderboard on Friday, reeling off six straight birdies to cap an 11-under-par 61 to grab the lead at the LPGA Ford Championship in Arizona.

"I wasn't really feeling that great overnight. Kind of have a bit of a runny nose and sore throat, so wasn't expecting that much which is maybe a good thing," said Green, who would go on to flip the script at Seville Golf and Country Club, where she's in search of her second title of the month.

"I missed a short putt on the first and I was like, 'Oh, OK, that's fine. I really took advantage of the shorter holes we had. I also holed a couple really long putts… Just had a really nice morning."

Green, who rattled in a 30-foot birdie to win the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore by one stroke earlier this month, hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and needed just 25 putts as she built a 36-hole total of 14-under 130.

She had a one-stroke lead over American Sarah Schmelzel and Taiwan's Chien Peiyun.

Schmelzel had nine birdies in a sparkling nine-under 63 while Chien posted a five-under 65 to reach 131. It was another stroke back to South Korean Kim Hyo-joo and Spain's Azahara Munoz on 132.

After four birdies on the front nine, Green opened the back with a birdie at the 10th, then birdied her last six holes — from the 13th through the 18th — to post a new career low on the LPGA.