A mindset that never nears either end of the emotional spectrum shapes as Minjee Lee’s trump card as the West Australian chases a third major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Texas.

One of the last players to finish on another hot day at the East Fields Ranch course at PGA Frisco, Lee ensured she will have sufficient recovery time prior to Round 3 with an even-par 72 in Round 2.

Two-over when she made the turn, Lee staged a back-nine fightback with three birdies and a bogey to end the day even with the card and 3-under for the championship, three strokes off the lead in a tie for second.

Lee will play in the final group alongside Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul (70) on Saturday as seven of the nine Aussies in the field advanced to the weekend.

A major champion in both 2021 and 2022, 29-year-old Lee believes the player who best copes with the heat, wind and a golf course that gets tougher by the day will be triumphant come Sunday.

“It’s going to be windy the whole weekend, too, so I think we kind of know what to expect now,” said Lee.

“I think it will be whoever has the best recovery in this heat and also who doesn’t make like soft bogeys.

“It’s been so hot and it’s a really slow round, so you’ve just got to try and focus as best you can.

“That’s the person who is going to, at the end of the week, hold the trophy.”

After a brilliant day with the putter on day one, it was an admittedly shaky start for Lee on Friday.

She made bogey on 11 after finding the fairway bunker with her tee shot, one of only four missed fairways for the day.

Twice Lee was unable to save par from a greenside bunker, one of which came at the par-4 18th to turn in 2-over.

A birdie putt from 16 feet at the par-4 second turned momentum Lee’s way, following it up with a superb wedge to seven feet at the par-5 third for back-to-back birdies.

A second shot that squirted right out of the rough led to a dropped shot at the par-4 sixth but Lee responded again, converting a birdie chance from just outside 14 feet at the par-3 eighth.

Lee had a chance from 18 feet to move within two of Thitikul at the par-5 ninth but left her birdie putt short.

“I felt like I started a little bit shaky,” Lee conceded.

“Turned in 2-over and I knew there was a few opportunities on the front nine to make a couple birdies.

“I just tried to stay patient out there. It was really windy and quite hard to hold some of the greens.

“I just tried to stay within myself and just be smart and play to my advantages.”

Tied for 25th, Stephanie Kyriacou (75) is the next best of the Aussies while a hole-out for eagle at the par-4 14th was the highlight of Hannah Green’s 2-over 74.

Round 2 Australasian scores T2 Minjee Lee -3 T25 Stephanie Kyriacou +3 T36 Hannah Green +4 T36 Lydia Ko (NZ) +4 T44 Karis Davidson +5 T68 Hira Naveed +7 T68 Gabriela Ruffels +7 T68 Grace Kim +7 MC Robyn Choi +8 MC Cassie Porter +10

Round 3 tee times AEST 9:37pm Hira Naveed 9:55pm Grace Kim 10:13pm Gabriela Ruffels 12:01am Karis Davidson 12:19am Lydia Ko (NZ) 12:28am Hannah Green 1:22am Stephanie Kyriacou 3:25am Minjee Lee