PHOENIX, Arizona, March 15, 2013 (AFP) - One day after Miyazato set a course-record with a 63 at Wildfire Golf Club, Lee shot the second-best round ever at the 6,583-yard layout to nudge her way atop the leaderboard past Miyazato with American Stacy Lewis third on 133.
Lee began her birdie binge at the par-5 fifth and then closed the front nine with three birdies. She stretched her run to four in a row by starting the back nine the same way, needing only 12 strokes on four par-4 holes.
Lee then closed with birdies on three of the last four holes, although she failed to match her success of seven back-nine birdies from the opening round.
Miyazato, who finished second in this event last year, birdied three of the first five holes but took her first bogey of the event at the par-3 six and even after back-to-back birdies closed the front nine with another bogey.
Birdies at the par-5 11th and par-4 12th put her back in the swing but she followed a birdie at the par-4 16th with another at the par-4 18th to finish one stroke behind Lee.
Lewis, fired a 68 in round one, began on the back nine and made a birdie at the 13th and eagled the 16th. She birdied three of the first five holes as well before taking a bogey at the sixth, but answered with birdies at seven and nine to stay on the Asian leaders' heels.
Australian Lindsey Wright, Taiwan's Candie Kung, South Korean Amy Yang and Americans Danielle Kang and Gerina Piller shared fourth on 135.
Sweden's Anna Nordqvist, South Korean I.K. Kim, Germany's Sandra Gal and Americans Daniela Iacobelli and Cristie Kerr were on 136.
Leading scores on Friday after the second round of the $1.5 million LPGA Founders Cup (par 72, USA unless noted):
129 - Jee Young Lee (KOR) 65-64
130 - Ai Miyazato (JPN) 63-67
133 - Stacy Lewis 68-65
135 - Danielle Kang 68-67, Amy Yang (KOR) 68-67, Lindsey Wright (AUS) 68-67, Gerina Piller 66-69, Candie Kung (TPE) 66-69
136 - Daniela Iacobelli 71-65, Cristie Kerr 71-65, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 70-66, Sandra Gal (GER) 67-69, I.K. Kim (KOR) 69-67
137 - Jessica Korda 70-67, Sydnee Michaels 70-67, Lizette Salas 68-69, Cindy Lacrosse 69-68, Thidapa Suwannapura (THA) 69-68, Hee-Won Han (KOR) 69-68, Jimin Kang (KOR) 68-69, Jiyai Shin (KOR) 67-70, Katherine Hull-Kirk (AUS) 67-70
138 - Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 72-66, Heather Young 72-66, Jennie Lee 71-67, Nicole Castrale 71-67, Moriya Jutanugarn (THA) 70-68, Mina Harigae 70-68, Giulia Sergas (ITA) 69-69, Juli Inkster 68-70, Eun-Hee Ji (KOR) 68-70, Angela Stanford 68-70, Brittany Lang 66-72, Veronica Felibert (VEN) 69-69