Stephanie Kono is finally finding success on the LPGA Tour.

The reason for it is simple.

“Confidence,” the Punahou alumna said Thursday after shooting a 1-under-par 71 in the second round of the LPGA Lotte Championship. “I’ve felt really confident about my game since Q-school.”

Kono, who went two full years without playing a single LPGA event, was steady in the morning round at Ko Olina Golf Course, making two birdies with a lone bogey on 18 to finish as one of 38 players under par going into the final two rounds.

The former All-American at UCLA, who earned her first tour card in 2012, has partial status this season after finishing one shot outside of the top 20 in stage III qualifying in December.

She placed in the top two of a Monday qualifier to play in the COATES Golf Championship in February and made her first tour cut two weeks later in Australia.

She finished the Women’s Australian Open in 75th place to cash her first LPGA check of $2,540, but was 7 over in her first two “weekend rounds” played on tour.

She’ll get her first real taste as a contender today when she tees off from the first tee at 9:53 a.m. among the final 12 groups.

“Especially at home it’s going to be fun,” Kono said. “I felt in Australia I was just kind of trying to hang in there. This week, I feel a lot better about my game. I finished my round (in Australia) before the leaders even started and that was kind of a bummer, so I made it a point this time I want to be more in it.”

After missing the cut here in 2013, Kono headed to Sarasota, Fla., where she played the first of 46 Symetra Tour events before finally making her way back to the big stage.

Kono missed two months of the season last year when she tore a disc in her back and failed to finish in the top 30 of 14 consecutive events.

As far as results go, there wasn’t a whole lot for Kono to feel confident about. Her body felt great after rehabbing her back injury and she was at peace in her head about the state of her game.

All that was missing was the results.

“For the first time in years I expected to gain full status going into (qualifying),” Kono said. “I felt like I’ve done the right things to be more confident mentally and physically as well.”

Kono started her professional career earlier than she wanted. Just prior to her senior season at UCLA, she played in a qualifier that she thought would get her into an LPGA Futures event.

Instead, she finished in the top 10, which resulted in full-member status to the LPGA Tour. She could have refused it and gone back to school, but she would have had to qualify again the following year.

Kono accepted the full-time status and failed to make a cut.

Now, four years later, she’s finally getting the results to prove she can be an every-week player with the best of the LPGA.

“I was disappointed I missed (full-time status at Q-school), but I knew I’d get a good amount of tournaments and the reshuffle is after this week, so making the cut in Australia and making the cut here will definitely help,” Kono said. “I’ve played some solid golf the last two days and I’m ready for the weekend.”

Kono was the only golfer of the three from Hawaii to make the cut.

Punahou senior Allisen Corpuz ended her first LPGA tournament with a birdie on 18 to finish even par for the day and 5 over for the tournament.

Michelle Wie, who struggled to an opening-round 80, had to hit a second drive on her first hole and ended up shooting a 73 to finish 9 over.