Neshanic Station, NJ (Sports Network) - Lisa McCloskey fired a 5-under 67 on Tuesday to earn medalist honors for the stroke-play portion at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

The 20-year-old McCloskey finished two rounds at 7-under 137 at Neshanic Valley Golf Course. The Houston native was the runner-up at this event in 2010.

Karen Chung and Steffi Neisen both carded 4-under 68s and shared second place at minus-6.

Lakareber Abe, one of the first-round leaders, managed only a 1-under 71 and slid to fourth at 5-under 139.

McCloskey had endured a tough start Monday, when she recorded three bogeys and two birdies in her first nine holes. But she avoided that Tuesday, when she went out in the morning wave, starting from the 10th tee.

She parred her first four holes before sinking a birdie at 14, and another at 18 put her at minus-4 going back to tee No. 1.

McCloskey kept her foot on the gas pedal, draining birdies at one and two. She followed a bogey at five with birdies at six and seven, then parred her final two holes to go into the clubhouse with the lead. None of her birdie putts were more than 15 feet.

"I feel good," McCloskey. "I didn't play very well yesterday and my first nine was pretty poor, but my putting has carried me through the two days."

Chung also started on the back nine and began on the wrong foot, with a bogey at 10. But she caught fire three holes later, draining five birdies in an eight-hole span. By the time she birdied the second, she was sitting at 6- under.

The New Jersey native stumbled to bogeys at three and five, but made up the strokes with birdies at six and seven.

Neisen, in the first morning group off tee No. 10, recorded two birdies and two bogeys during her first nine holes. But a clean front nine, featuring four birdies, helped her soar up the leaderboard.

"I'm still a little bit in shock," Neisen said. "I didn't have good practice range sessions but I didn't try to do anything spectacular today and I did a good job of missing my shots in the right places."

Cindy Ha, who shared the first-round lead with Abe, struggled to a 3-over 75 and fell to minus-1. But she still advanced to match play, as she is tied for 13th.

The championship now switches to match play, with first-round matches scheduled for Wednesday. The lowest 64 players advanced, and the field will be reduced each day until Saturday, when the 36-hole title match takes place.

The Sports Network