Stephanie Meadow is nine shots off the lead in a tie for 19th at the midway point of the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.
The Antrim golfer carded a second-round 71 on Friday which leaves her on five under overall and in contention for a top 20 finish.
Peiyun Chien of Taiwan fired an eight-under-par 64 to grab a four-shot lead, making six birdies and holing out for an eagle 2 at the par-4 sixth hole at Kenwood Country Club.
She moved to 14 under, comfortably ahead of Morgane Metraux of Switzerland and China's Ruoning Yin and Ruixin Lin in a tie for second at 10 under.
Chien, ranked No. 184 in the world, has won on the Taiwan LPGA and the Epson Tour but is seeking her first LPGA title.
"The eagle is amazing," Chien said. "I was thinking maybe it (would) go in because I have a lot of shots almost went in couple weeks, but I'm still waiting for a eagle. But it just happened, so I'm very happy."
Metraux parred her first eight holes before breaking through with a birdie at the par-4 ninth. That opened the floodgates, as she added five more birdies on the back nine while remaining bogey-free for a 66.
"Both days I started a little cold," Metraux said. "Didn't make putts at the beginning of the round, and just kept playing steady, kept hitting my spots on the fairways and on the greens, and a few started falling on the back so it was pretty fun."
Yin, the 20-year-old who won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June, made three birdies on each nine to shoot 66 and move into good position.
"I think I'm only four shots behind," Yin said. "I mean, I will make birdie as much as I can. Just try to stay with the same strategy and stick with my game. I think will be fine."
Liu, the first-round leader, posted a 69 with six birdies (including three straight) and three bogeys.
Yuka Saso of Japan (66) and Charley Hull of England (68) are tied for fifth at nine under. Nasa Hataoka of Japan recovered from an opening 73 by shooting the round of the day, a nine-under 63, to reach a tie for seventh at eight under.
Defending champion Ally Ewing posted a second-round 70 and is tied for 19th alongside Meadow at five under.
The second round saw two holes-in-one. Germany's Olivia Cowan aced the 154-yard eighth hole with a 7-iron en route to a 67, moving her to four under fo rthe tournament. Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England had a hole-in-one with her 8-iron from 161 yards out at the third hole; she carded a 71 and finished the day at two over, where she will miss the cut.
Other notable players who couldn't reach the cut line of one under par included South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai (even), US Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz (even) and last week's winner in Portland, Chanettee Wannasaen of Thailand (one over).
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