Currently fourth on the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card thanks in large part to her victory at the IOA Golf Classic, Kim made a shaky start at Pinehaven Country Club but rebounded in impressive fashion.

Bogeys at her second and third holes had Kim on the back foot but she soared up the leaderboard with four straight birdies from the seventh hole.

Her two-under par round of 69 puts Kim in a four-way tie for second three shots back of American rising star Lucy Li with fellow Australian Hira Naveed one of seven players to post 70 to sit four shots off the pace.

Gabriela Ruffels (72) can enhance her prospects of promotion to the LPGA Tour next year as she sits in a tie for 20th with rookie professional Emily Mahar (73) a shot further back in a tie for 35th.

As the Aussie girls contend on the Epson Tour it has been tough going for the Australian contingent at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Defending champion Min Woo Lee missed the cut with rounds of 77-74, Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman also given an extra weekend to prepare for The Open next week with an early exit.

Jason Scrivener (two-over) and Cameron Smith (three-over) were the only Aussies to make the cut, Kiwi Ryan Fox level with Scrivener in a tie for 38th but nine shots from the top of the leaderboard.

Elsewhere Cameron Percy (66-69) is the leading Australian at the halfway mark of the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship, tied for 17th and six shots back of leader Adam Svensson and Jarryd Felton is top-30 heading into the final two rounds of the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge on the Challenge Tour in France.