Ko Olina isn’t quite the same as Royal Birkdale, but it might as well be for American Mo Martin.

The British Open champion in 2014 is in the hunt for her second professional victory following a 5-under 67 on Thursday in the second round of the LPGA Lotte Championship.

Martin strung together back-to-back rounds in the 60s for the first time this year to move within two shots of leader Brooke Henderson in a two-way tie for second at the halfway point.

The UCLA alumna birdied four of her first eight holes and was nearly flawless off the tee, hitting all but one fairway and 14 of 18 greens in regulation.

“I’ve had some good finishes here before, so just building on that and getting into the momentum of the season,” Martin said. “I feel like I’ve been playing really well all year.”

Martin has made the cut all seven times she’s played here after earning her LPGA Tour card in 2012.

The wind wasn’t quite as strong as the first round and certainly not as crazy as that memorable Sunday in the United Kingdom four years ago when Martin nearly holed out on the 72nd hole from the tee and finished with an eagle to win a major championship.

She was the only player who shot in red numbers that day and has always thrived under difficult conditions.

Two years ago, she tied for seventh at Ko Olina and went on to finish second at the British Open three months later.

“I just love playing in the wind,” Martin said. “It was challenging (Wednesday) in the afternoon. The wind picked up a bit, and that always brings out my creativity.”

A walk-on to start her college career at UCLA, Martin turned professional in 2006 and took six years before earning her spot on tour.

At the end of the 2012 season, Martin didn’t qualify for all of the season-ending tournaments, freeing up her schedule.

After earning more than $150,000 her rookie year, she decided to remain in Asia after playing in three tournaments overseas and took a trip to Cambodia.

Taking the advice of a friend, she went to visit Angkor Wat, a temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world. Her experience, however, turned out to be quite different than the one she expected.

“Seeing the poverty level there is just a much different level than the United States,” Martin said. “I mean, I saw naked kids picking grass. If you have a job, that’s $30 a month. That really affected me.”

This year, Martin raised $15,000 to fund a well for a village in Zambia and is in the process of trying to double it to get a second well built for another village.

She plans to visit Zambia for the first time after the season is over in December as part of Golf Fore Africa, a non-profit organization established by LPGA Hall of Famer Betsy King to help people in need in Africa.

“I think it’s a big transformation and I can’t imagine $15,000 affecting more people,” Martin said. “Each well lasts 20 years, so it affects generations. It gives young girls an opportunity to go to school. Some of the villages are able to get their water combined with the dirt to form clay bricks so then they have something to sell, something to build with.

“It just transforms the whole village.”