Semi-retired Lexi Thompson is going into the weekend contending for her first major title in more than a decade, and in a dwindling group of players under par at the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship while Jeeno Thitikul extended her lead.

Thitikul, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, finished a six-hour round Friday not long before sunset with consecutive birdies for a 2-under 70 to get to 6-under 138. She had a three-stroke lead over Rio Takeda (71) and Minjee Lee (72), and was four ahead of Thompson (70) after another steamy day on the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco.

“To be honest, didn’t (think) it’s going to be that good result out there,” said Thitikul, the 22-year-old seeking her first major win. “Especially today just said to my coach, ‘Like if anybody can shoot under par today, that player will be really, really great.’ I’m shooting 2-under par and I was like, ‘Wow!”

With the feel-like temperatures going over 100 degrees and the ever-present Texas wind, only seven of the 156 players who started the season’s third major were under par through two rounds. There have been no bogey-free rounds this week.

There were 15 players under par after the first round, when Thitikul’s opening 68 put her a stroke ahead of fellow North Texas resident Lee.

Thitikul, a five-time winner from Thailand, was in the same group the first two rounds with top-ranked Nelly Korda, whose only two birdies Friday came over the final three holes. Korda had a 74 and is 2 over for the week.

Even though Thompson is no longer playing a full schedule, she still practices and works on her game pretty much all the time when at home.

“Any time I tee it up I want to come out here and compete and win. I just want to make sure that I’m fully ready every time I tee it up,” Thompson said. “Yeah, I mean, it put my mind more at ease coming out here knowing that I’m not playing a full schedule, grinding week in, week out, and looking forward to the weeks off.”

Scheffler part of 3-way tie for lead at Travelers

Scottie Scheffler provided hope with a late double bogey. Tommy Fleetwood charged through with two eagles in three holes, and so did Justin Thomas with five straight birdies. They wound up tied for the lead on a blustery Friday at the Travelers Championship.

All it took was the fate of the wind, good or bad, to shape the leaderboard going into the weekend at the TPC River Highlands, with 12 players separated by four shots.

Scheffler was comfortably in front when the left-to-right wind his tee shot had been riding laid down, sending his ball into the fairway bunker on the par-4 17th. He put the next one in the water, barely reached the green with his fourth shot and made double bogey. He wound up with a 1-under 69.

Fleetwood felt the wind going right-to-left, then slightly hurting, then slightly helping on the par-5 13th. He had 240 yards to at least cover the water, 264 yards to the hole, and he felt his 9-wood would at least reach the green.

So much depended on the fickle wind that fooled so many players.

“I just sort of caught the right moment,” said Fleetwood, who also chipped in for eagle on the reachable 15th and shot 65. “Came off perfect and then beautiful putt.”

Thomas wished he could have hit the ball a little better off the tee, but he stayed out of trouble, stayed patient and cashed in on the back nine with his five straight birdies, two of them from the 25-foot range, that led to a 64.

They were at 9-under 131, one shot ahead of Jason Day (66).