Lower than two weeks out from the beginning of The Masters, Min Woo Lee is hitting kind on the proper time.
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The Australian is 2 photographs behind chief Scottie Scheffler on the Houston Open regardless of solely managing to finish 16 holes within the second spherical because of a lightning delay of greater than two hours.
Lee is -5 for the spherical, and -9 for the event however should full his second spherical on Saturday morning US time earlier than his third spherical tee time.
The 26-year-old carded seven birdies for the day, together with 5 on the entrance 9 highlighted through the use of his immense ball placing to over energy two par 5s.
The 606-yard par 5 eighth specifically proved no match for Lee, as he dazzled spectators and commentators by launching an iron from 278 yards out to the entrance fringe of the inexperienced to arrange birdie at his second gap after play resumed.
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But it surely was Lee’s placing that has been probably the most influential side of his recreation throughout the 34 holes he has performed to this point.
He ranks first within the discipline for strokes gained on the greens, averaging simply 1.44 putts per inexperienced in regulation.
As darkness descended throughout Memorial Park, Lee had no subject studying the greens, holing a roughly 13 foot birdie putt on the par 5 sixteenth to get better from blasting his tee shot into the left tough, and receiving a free drop, and end off his day in type.
That got here after dropping a ten-footer on the thirteenth, a 17-footer on the sixth, a 14-footer on the fourth, all for birdies.
Scheffler in the meantime despatched an ominous warning to his rivals forward of his title defence at Augusta Nationwide by equalling his personal course file.
The world No.1 performed his greatest spherical of the yr to card an eight-under par 62 and take a one-shot lead at -11 general forward of Canadian Taylor Pendrith because the morning discipline accomplished their rounds earlier than the storm rolled in.
Scheffler missed only one fairway in regulation for all the spherical, and that got here on the par 3 second, his eleventh gap of the day, the place he drained a close to 30 foot putt from the perimeter for birdie anyway.
“I felt like I used to be hitting so many good putts, particularly at The Gamers, putts that have been going across the edge. Right this moment was a day the place I felt like my ball-striking might have been a bit higher and I used to be in a position to gap some putts,” Scheffler stated.
“I hit a variety of greens however I felt like my irons have been simply barely off, and I felt like I might have been hitting them slightly bit nearer to the opening, however general saved it on the inexperienced, saved giving myself seems to be. The best way I used to be placing, I didn’t really feel I needed to drive ‘em there by many pins if I wasn’t completely comfy with the shot, so good outcomes.”
Jason Day made certain he shall be part of the weekend motion with a four-under par spherical to maneuver to the identical mark for the event alongside Rory McIlroy.
The world No.2 made a hat-trick of birdies at 15, 16 and 17 to make sure that he jumped above the projected minimize line, which stands at -3.
Australian Karl Vilips, enjoying within the featured group as Lee, will want an enormous end to make the minimize when he performs the ultimate two holes of his second spherical tomorrow.
Vilips is -1 and can seemingly want a pair of birdies on the two closing holes.
Aaron Baddeley will want a equally spectacular end as he sits at even par with three holes to play.
Fan favorite Joel Dahmen is one among 22 gamers at -3, and he offered one of many highlights of the day by strolling in a putt virtually immediately, regardless of seemingly not being happy with it off the putter face.