Minjee Lee starts Women’s PGA Championship well
Minjee Lee consults with her caddie today – image Ryan Lochhead PGA of America
Minjee Lee has made an encouraging start to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Frisco in Texas, her opening round of 3 under par 69 leaving her one behind Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul and alone in second position.
Lee, who played in the morning draw on day one, bogeyed her opening hole but produced four birdies before the turn, before playing the homeward nine in even par for her solid start.
“I putted really great today,” said Lee. “I made a lot of birdie putts and a whole bunch of up and down par putts as well. I mean, my iron game was pretty solid as well, but I think I need to sharpen up my drives a little bit. But then I think I felt quite good today.”
Lee was asked how much tougher it is to win a major now than was the case several years ago when she won the two titles she now has to her name.
“I think just the depth of the fields has gotten much stronger. I think when I first started, it was a bit more top-heavy, and now all the girls can compete; everybody is much more competitive.
“I think over my 10, 11 years, it’s just a lot more girls from like overseas are coming to play in America and on the LPGA, so I think that’s been a big difference. I just think everybody is hungrier. They’re younger and more fierce and just aggressive — obviously on the course; not as people.”
“I just think they’re not afraid. Yeah, I feel like that is more the theme now than it used to be.”
The event is being played at the Gil Hanse designed Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas, and the layout is proving to be a handful for the field including Lee who has local knowledge given she lives close by.
“Obviously it’s different. The rough is much thicker. If you hit it just off the fairways, you can — I mean, I’m thankful for the volunteers because I couldn’t find my ball some of the times.
“Yeah, pretty much you can only see maybe a third of the ball. “Just the top. So when I came to practice it was a little bit more dormant so the rough hadn’t quite come in yet. Yeah, I think that’s the big difference.
“The greens are a little bit quicker and it’s set up for tournament play now and before it was just the members could still play and we could play, so it was not the same at all.”
Stephanie Kyriacou is the next best of the Australasians in a share of 16th place after her opening round of even par.
