Minjee Lee and caddie Brad Beecher approaching the 18th today – image Chris Keane USGA
Minjee Lee produced an equal-best third round of 66 at the US Women’s Open in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and takes a share of the 54-hole lead into tomorrow’s final round at the Lancaster Country Club.
Lee shares the lead at 5 under with Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai and American Andrea Lee, the trio one shot clear of Japan’s Hinako Shibuno. a winner of the AIG Women’s Open with the 2001 winner of this event, Yuka Saso, another shot further back.
Those five players are the only golfers to be under par after 54 holes, the next best being three shots back at 1 over par.
Lee got her round underway in earnest when she hit a long iron approach to a foot from the hole at the par 5 7th and the resulting eagle moved her within two of Meechai’s lead and when she birdied the 11th and 12th she had joined the lead at that stage held by Meechai.
She would bogey the 14th but one final birdie at the 16th had her back in a share of the lead which she takes into tomorrow’s final round in pursuit of her third major title and her second US Women’s Open two years after her first.
“I think a couple others are probably going to be on the same score as me, so maybe a shootout, depending on how the course is set up tomorrow,” said Lee after her round and before the final group had finished.
“I’m sure they’re going to make it a little bit harder than today. But looking forward to the challenge and really looking forward to tomorrow.”
Lee was asked if she felt that this sort of performance was on the cards given a season to date that has been below expectation.
“Yeah, obviously a major championship, it’s hard to get like super high on your expectations because it’s always a tough — it’s tough if you have super high expectations and the course is hard and difficult.
“I tried to just keep it pretty calm, and I just tried to be patient out there. I feel like my game has been trending in a better — week to week, it’s been getting better and better in all aspects of my game.
“I feel like it has been coming together for the moment I am in right now.”
Meechai has yet to win any event on the LPGA Tour let alone a major and Lee, a one-time world number one amateur, has won just one LPGA Tour event so in terms of experience and credentials Lee has the edge over her fellow leaders but Shibuno and Saso cannot be discounted either.
Lee is by a large margin the leading Australasian to date this week.
Sarah Kemp and Hannah Green are the next best although they trail their fellow countrywoman by a massive 14 shots while New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey at 11 over and Gabi Ruffels at 12 over are the only others to have made the weekend.
