IRVINE, Calif.- Sophie Hausmann rattled off 10 birdies in the first two rounds of the UC Irvine Invitational Monday, to sit in a tie for second at 4-under (71-69=140). Hausmann led the in each of the two rounds on the opening day. The Vandals are 20-over (302-294=596) and in fifth place with 18 holes remaining. The final round tees off Tuesday, at 8 a.m. PT.

"Sophie played well," said head coach Lisa Johnson. "She made lots of birdies. This course sets up well for her game because it favors a longer ball striker. The greens are the challenging part of this golf course. Sophie has shorter irons on her approach shots, giving her a better ability to be aggressive going after flags and she's a good putter."

Hausmann roared up the leaderboard with birdies on three of her final four holes. She started her day with a birdie on her opening hole. The first round was up and down from there with three more birdies evened out by three bogeys. Hausmann limited her mistakes in the second round, but a double bogey on the 10th hole (her fifth of the round) put her at 1-over. She responded with back-to-back birdies on the ensuing two holes before her blistering finish gave her a 3-under 69 in the round. She is four shots off the lead, trailing only Colorado State's Katrina Prendergast who posted eight birdies en route to a second-round 66.

Michelle Kim shook off an opening-round 78 and birdied the 36th hole of the day to join Hausmann in red numbers for the second round. Kim is tied for 22nd at 5-over (78-71=149).

"Michelle made two doubles in her first round which is really unusual for her," said Johnson. "They were golf course management mistakes. She was hitting the ball well in the practice round and all day. she just didn't manage the course very well."

Kim's birdie on the final hole was her fifth of the second round. She settled in for the latter half of her round, carding six pars and two birdies over the final eight holes to close the day on a high note.

"The second round was more indicative of her game and what she is capable of," Johnson said. "The best part of her game is putting and she can get up and down from anywhere. I was happy to see her second round and I was not surprised."

Valeria Patino was the second-lowest Vandal in the first round with a 74, before battling through three early bogeys in the second round to post a 77. Patino is in a tie for 30th at 7-over.

The final round presents opportunities for the team and individuals. Hausmann will look to make a run at the third tournament title of her career, while the team aims to build on a strong second round as the fall season winds down.

"A round in the mid-to-low 60s is doable for a long hitter like Sophie," said Johnson. "Our big team goal is to finish the fall season off on a high note. The plan is to settle into our games a little sooner than we did today and minimize the big numbers."