4 days after his sister turned a significant champion for the third time, Australia’s Min Woo Lee made a scorching begin to the PGA Tour’s Rocket Traditional with a nine-under par opening spherical of 63.
Lee made a career-best ten birdies for the day as he reached the flip in 32 after which stormed dwelling on the entrance 9, his second 9, with three straight birdies to complete the spherical.
When he walked into the clubhouse, Lee had matched the course report on the Detroit Golf Membership in Michigan, however his effort was later surpassed by ten-under par 62s from American Kevin Roy and Aldirch Potgieter, the South African who spent a lot of his childhood in Perth.
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Lee on third Main win: “Simply means extra” | 02:33
Lee hit solely seven of 14 fairways however confirmed off his famend firepower by a number of lengthy bombs off the tee to rank in a share of twelfth for driving distance with a median of 322.10 yards.
But it surely was his stellar quick recreation that was most influential within the first spherical.
The 26-year-old was on hearth with the putter, gaining 3.135 strokes on his rivals on the greens, to rank sixth within the discipline.
Whereas across the greens, his saucy quick recreation that makes for a lot of viral social media clips was on level, ranked eighth for strokes gained (1.426).
LEADERBOARD: All of the scores from the Rocket Traditional
The West Australian has turn into extremely comfortably in Detroit, he completed in a share of second place final yr, one shot behind fellow Australian Cam Davis, who has gained this occasion twice earlier than.
When requested why the course fits him a lot, Lee’s reply was easy.
“Numerous drivers,” he stated.
“Clearly acquired some size so attempting to get it in play, considerably in play after which assault the greens.
“We clearly had a little bit of a moist interval there the final couple days so it’s fairly gettable. Extra similar to controlling the spin, which out of the tough you don’t have as a lot spin so it’s fairly good to type of play from the tough.
“Not that I used to be doing it on objective, I’d relatively be on the golf green, however yeah, it’s gettable. Situations have been good within the morning and yeah, took benefit of it.”
The quick begin is a welcome turnaround in kind for Lee.
Since successful the Houston Open two weeks earlier than The Masters, his maiden PGA Tour victory, Lee’s greatest outcome has been forty ninth at Augusta Nationwide.
He missed the minimize at each the PGA Championship and the US Open, and stated that it was good to get again on a course with out such penal, thick tough.
“It’s been truthfully very unhealthy,” Lee stated of his kind.
“I didn’t really feel nice on the course, particularly taking part in at a course the place while you hit it within the tough you’ve actually acquired to hack out. Oakmont, Memorial, a lot of the Signature Occasions are simply very, very robust.
“And also you’re almost taking part in — as a substitute of 4 majors, you’re taking part in extra majors as a result of they’re attempting to make it as robust as potential. I used to be actually excited for this week, I wished to get to hit within the tough and truly hit onto the inexperienced.
“I wouldn’t charge it something as a result of it was fairly common,” he continued.
“It appears so shut, however I don’t even assume I did that a lot totally different right this moment and I scored 10 instances higher than what I’ve been scoring. On the finish of the day, simply acquired to maintain your head up and maintain going.
“In the long run you wish to play the Signature Occasions, you wish to play these occasions and also you wish to hit as correct as potential, however yeah, nonetheless attempting to determine driver.
“Driver was a giant a part of that, not realizing the place the ball was going. Yeah, hopefully the PGA Tour can have extra programs like this, it will be a bit extra enjoyable and fewer tense.”
As for his Ladies’s PGA Championship successful sister Minjee, it’s no coincidence that Lee has performed properly following her success.
They appear to rub off on each other with a relentless tug of struggle happening for sibling bragging rights, though Minjee firmly holds these.
She broke a winless drought of virtually two years in Texas after having her personal struggles, and the youthful sibling has clearly taken inspiration from his massive sister’s bounce again with a telephone name the night time earlier than maybe serving because the catalyst for his equal greatest spherical on the PGA Tour.
“I don’t assume she learns that a lot off me. I attempt to be taught off her,” he stated.
“She’s a beast when she’s taking part in good, she simply doesn’t do a lot fallacious.
“You see that step in her stroll, you understand she’s snug along with her recreation and you understand she’s acquired management, which she’s already a ball-striker so it’s fairly cool to see her stroll the stroll.
“No, it’s a really cool factor. And yeah, a little bit of a stability however we simply — I imply, we’re attempting to play pretty much as good as we will. We give one another messages from time to time.”
Taking part in the identical group as Lee, Cam Davis made a disappointing begin to his title defence with a two-over par spherical of 74.
Three different Australians are within the discipline with veteran Aaron Baddeley and PGA Tour rookie Karl Vilips each taking pictures one-under par rounds of 71, whereas Harrison Endycott completed the opening spherical five-under par after reeling off seven birdies in his spherical of 67.