MEL Reid produced a miraculous escape act to save herself from an early exit from the Women's British Open at Royal Birkdale.

Three birdies in the last three holes took the 22-year-old the right side of the halfway cut and made sure she will be there over the weekend at the prestigious event.

There was little sign before the final three holes that Reid would be able to undo the damage of the opening day.

Under pressure following her 77 on Thursday, Reid gave herself early hope with a birdie at the second to take her back to four over par but that optimism was dispersed at the par-five sixth with a double-bogey seven.

Another dropped shot followed on the 13th and that appeared to be the end of her challenge.

But Reid, who had missed the cut of one of the top tournaments of the Ladies European Tour season in both her previous years as a professional, pulled out all the shots when she needed it most to finish three, four, four for a one-under-par round of 71.

At four over for the tournament, the Derbyshire player was one shot inside the cut, though she will have to serve up more dynamic golf if she is to make more of an impression on the leaderboard.

Reid, who teed off just after midday, could only curse her luck earlier in the day as those who started early encountered much less blustery weather than she had early on the first day.

First round co-leader Yani Tseng from Chinese Taipei returned a second straight round of 68 to gain a four stroke lead on eight under par after 36 holes.

Off in the seventh group of the day at 7.36am, the world number five took full advantage of the benign, dry weather to card five birdies and only one bogey.

Tseng acknowledged her good fortune.

"I played another solid round. I made lots of putts. And it was really lucky," she said.

"It is raining right now and, in the morning, there was no wind, very calm.

"And the course was totally different to what we played on the first day. So it was just really nice."

World number three Cristie Kerr, of the United States, shot the round of the day – and the best of the tournament so far – with a five-under 67 to move into a share of second place on four under, along with fellow American Brittany Lincicome and Amy Yang of South Korea.