She had a front-row seat to the Mao Saigo show yet Minjee Lee did enough herself to keep alive her hopes of a second US Women’s Open title at Erin Hills.

The Chevron Championship winner a month ago, Saigo shot 6-under 66 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead at 8-under par, play suspended for almost an hour late in Round 2 due to lightning in the area.

Kiwi great Lydia Ko returned to complete her round of 1-under 71 as all six Aussies posted 36-hole scores, Lee and Hannah Green (70) the only Australians to advance to the weekend.

Tied for 59th after Round 1, Lee drained birdie putts from 10 feet at her opening two holes to set a tone that she would carry through the entirety of her round.

A 14-footer at the par-4 third was the longest of Lee’s five successful birdie tries on day two, the 29-year-old’s 3-under 69 elevating her into a tie for 19th at 2-under par and six shots off the lead.

Winner of the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship and 2022 US Women’s Open, Lee knows that the examination set by the USGA will only get tougher over the final two rounds.

“The USGA has a lot of tricks up their sleeve,” said Lee, who was 3-under before three-putting from outside 60 feet at the par-3 ninth, her final hole.

“They can always make it as tough as they can make it or they can make it really challenging and fun to play.

“Being physically and mentally a little sounder coming into the weekend would be nice.

“Just play aggressively when I can and play smart when I have to. I think that’s going to be the key.”

Lee hit two more greens in regulation on Friday and required two less putts, crediting more precise iron play for a more successful day on the greens.

“I probably had a lot of outside chances for birdie yesterday like 25 to 30 feet, but today I had a few more that were like inside 15 feet,” said Lee.

“I just started really well, made two birdies on the get-go. It was nice turning 3-under and had even on the back.

“Just seeing a few more putts roll in and then just hit it a little bit better.”

Although she hit just seven of 14 fairways, Green scrambled superbly to make just one bogey in her round of 2-under 70.

The 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA champion converted a birdie chance from outside 10 feet at the par-4 third and then hit a superb approach inside three feet for birdie on eight.

She came up 10 feet short with her first putt on her way to making bogey at the par-3 ninth but hit another laser-like approach to get that shot back immediately at the par-4 10th.

There were frustrating missed chances from 25, 23, 13 and eight feet at 12, 13, 14 and 15 but Green made important par saves from eight, 12 and five feet on the final three holes to head into the weekend under par.

“This is probably the best placement that I’ve gone into an actual weekend of a US Open,” said Green, whose best US Women’s Open finish is a tie for 13th in 2023.

“I’m hoping I’m not too far back, I guess six shots back.

“Hit some really good shots coming in – had a couple of tap-in birdies, which is always nice – and made some really good putts the last three holes to save par.

“I’m not sure what the conditions are going to be like this weekend. I think the harder, probably the better.

“I’m hoping I can just continue with the game plan that my caddie and I have and have a good weekend.”

It was a strange day for Gabi Ruffels, who came to the rescue for American Amari Avery.

Avery moved out of a rental home she suspected was being targeted for a burglary and into a hotel in the middle of the night and then a bag mix-up saw her boyfriend take her identical travel bag on a morning flight out of Wisconsin.

Ruffels to the rescue to her fellow USC alumni, lending Avery not only her entire golf bag after she completed her second round of 78 but also her Nike visor.

Even-par at the start of Round 2, Grace Kim shot 78 to miss the cut as Steph Kyriacou had just three birdies in 36 holes to also have her week end early.

Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Australasian scores T19 Hannah Green 72-70—142 T19 Minjee Lee 73-69—142 T37 Lydia Ko (NZ) 73-71—144 MC Steph Kyriacou 74-75—149 MC Grace Kim 72-78—150 MC Gabriela Ruffels 73-78—151 MC Jennifer Elliott 78-76—154