LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England » Catriona Matthew picked up five strokes to par in a brilliant three-hole stretch yesterday in the Women's British Open.

Playing 10 weeks after having her second child, the Scot followed an eagle on the par-5 11th with a hole-in-one on the 12th and added a birdie on the par-4 13th.

She finished with a 5-under 67 for a share of the second-round lead with Giulia Sergas at 3-under 141. Sergas also shot a 67.

“;On 11, I hit a perfect drive,”; Matthew said. “;I had 218 to the hole and hit a good rescue to probably 6 feet and holed that. Then 12, I had 152 maybe to the hole and just hit a normal 8-iron that was looking good the whole way.”;

The 39-year-old Matthew is playing her second tournament since giving birth to daughter Sophie in May.

“;The birth was slightly easier this time than the first time around,”; Matthew said. “;It doesn't take you too long to get back into it.”;

After a par on 14, she added birdies on 15, 16 and 18 and bogeyed 17 for a course-record 7-under 30 on the back nine. She played in much calmer conditions than she faced Thursday in an opening 74 at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

“;It was certainly easier than yesterday,”; Matthew said. “;This was one of my best nines. It may have been easier, but you still have to make shots.”;

Sergas had five back-nine birdies in her bogey-free round.

“;I like them. They have personality,”; the Italian said about links courses. “;They are not boring, but you have to accept the bad bounces. You have to play them aggressively. If you don't, they will eat you up.”;

Yuko Mitsuka (71) was a stroke back at 2 under, Song-Hee Kim (73) was 1 under, and Yani Tseng (70), Christina Kim (71) and Kyeong Bae (71) were even par.

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa was 8 over after a 77.

Cristie Kerr jarred her wrist playing out of a divot at the sixth and went for treatment after her round of 71. She was 3 over.

Paula Creamer (74) was 4 over, and Honolulu's Michelle Wie (76) was another stroke back.

Wie made a double bogey on the final hole after taking two shots to get out of a fairway bunker.