Minjee Lee was happy with her opening three-under 69 at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open at The Grange today, closing with a nice, four-metre birdie putt to complete her day.
It was a case of 'no damage done' for the 19-year-old Lee, Perth's world No. 17 and Australia's top-ranked player in the field.
Starting on the back nine with a huge gallery following her, world No. 1 Lydia Ko and world No. 9 Ha Na Jang, Lee immediately birdied the par-five 10th hole after reaching the greenside trap in two.
She gave back a shot at her second hole when her second shot plugged in the face of a bunker, but picked up another birdie at the par-five 13th when she lob-wedged to close range, and she was steady from that point. He made a birdie from close range at the 18th, and another from four metres at the fourth, then gave back a shot at the seventh when she pulled her second shot and missed the green left. The birdie at the ninth, her 18th of the day, was icing on the cake.
Lee is six shots off the lead held by South Korea's Soobin Kim, who broke the course record with a 63.
"I didn't have any major blowout mistakes,'' she said. "I'm happy with a three-under start to the Aussie Open.''