Australian Minjee Lee grabs first round lead at British Women’s Amateur Golf Championship
Australian amateur golf sensation Mingee Lee has now gained a comprehensive first round lead at the British Women's Amateur Golf Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club, England.
Lee moved steadily up the leaderboard throughout the day, which was otherwise initially dominated by New Zealand’s Lydia Ko who finished three shots behind the leader. Ko carded first round score of three-under, 71 to grab the second place while Lee scored
a stunning round of six-under, 68.
The 14-year-old Ko had one of the memorable days at the Portrush where she got a chance to meet the defending US Open and World number five Graeme McDowell who has an honourary lifetime membership at Portrush.
“I am off duty from all dishes because Graeme McDowell shook my hand,” Ko jokingly said back at the team house near the course.
The day was forecasted to be wet and windy but the conditions turned out otherwise to help the players with the starting day of the tournament. There was minimal wind in the morning which rendered the notorious par fives reachable for the young amateur players.
Ko and Lee did well to avert any disaster on the difficult Link-style course, which they have not been so familiar with. Ko carded a perfect round and pulled in three birdies to close without a bogey.
“We don’t have links courses over in the West of Australia but I had two good practice rounds here at Royal Portrush on Sunday and Monday. I learned a lot about playing the ball clean off the turf. It’s a different kind of golf but I like it,” said Lee.
“I had only 27 putts so I would say that putting was the strongest part of my game today.”
Lee pulled in eight birdies at the first, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, 14th, 16th and 17th and fell in for two bogeys to close for six-under. Ko is rated number one in the amateur rankings albeit her tender age of 14.
Canadian Nicole Vandermade, Norway's Marita Engzelius, Sophia Popov, of Germany, and Spain's Camilla Hedberg are all in contention for the second place along with Ko.
The young Kiwi originally hails from South Korea and has adopted New Zealand as her new home. She finished tied for seventh in the New Zealand Golf Championship in 2010 at the age of 12. Ko has won many laurels for the country in her short tenure. She is
currently ranked number one in World Amateur Rankings.
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