[PHOTO: Sarah Stier/Getty Images]
West Australian Minjee Lee took full advantage of what she described as an ideal Saturday set-up to match the low round of the championship and take a share of the 54-hole lead at the US Women’s Open.
Lee will begin the final round at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania in a tie for the lead with Wichanee Meechai (69) and Andrea Lee (67) at five-under courtesy of a four-under 66 in round three, equalling Japan’s Hinako Shibuno for the low round of what has been a brutal week so far.
Seeking to join Hall of Famers Peter Thomson, Karrie Webb and Jan Stephenson as the only Australians to win more than two major championships, Lee and coach Ritchie Smith headed straight to the practice range post-round to work on a driver that found just six of 14 fairways on day three.
It shapes as the only potential chink in the armour as she endeavours to add the 2024 championship to her dominant 2022 US Women’s Open win at Pine Needles and 2021 Evian Championship victory.
“I thought the golf course was set up really well for moving day, round three,” Lee said. “There was a lot of opportunities for birdie out there, but obviously if you’re not on the fairway, it’s a little bit tougher for pars and high scores.
“I just thought it was a really great job by USGA setting up today.”
Revealing that she would spend the night before the final round reading tennis legend Andre Agassi’s autobiography, Open, Lee is ready to embrace the emotions that come with playing in the final group on Sunday in a major.
“Definitely embrace it,” Lee said. “I feel like you don’t always get to feel these feelings, so just kind of try to embrace the best that you can, adrenaline, a lot of the good stuff. It brings a lot of the good stuff, too.
“I’ve played in a few last groups before. I’m sure I’ll have nerves. US Opens… even that last putt on 18 I was nervous. I’m just going to try and stay in the moment. It’s always nice to be in the final group. It means you’re contending.”
When 36-hole leader Meechai birdied her opening hole, Lee found herself four strokes off the lead. It would stay that way through her opening six holes before the 28-year-old made her move at the par-5 seventh.
A tee shot of 256 metres found the left side of the fairway, leaving Lee with 172 metres to the hole. The iron play that has been a feature of her career again came to the fore, hitting her 6-iron approach shot inside two feet for a timely eagle.
Meechai would also birdie the seventh to push out to a three-shot lead, a lead that would be eroded shortly after the turn. The Thai made her first bogey of the day at the par-4 10th and when Lee, playing in the group ahead, birdied both the 11th and 12th she was tied for the lead at five-under.
The pair both dropped a shot at the par-4 14th and then Lee countered Meechai’s birdie on 15 with one of her own at the short par-4 16th, rolling a 17-foot, downhill, curling putt in the dead centre.
There were near-misses at both 15 and 17 before a wicked lip-out on 18 that denied her the outright lead but secured her spot in the final group with American Andrea Lee on Sunday.
Hannah Green and Sarah Kemp both enhanced their positions on the leaderboard on Saturday with rounds of two-over 72 to be tied for 39th heading into the final round, Gabi Ruffels dropping into a tie for 73rd with a round of 75.
US Women’s Open
Round 3
T-1 Minjee Lee 70-69-66—205
T-1 Andrea Lee 69-69-67—205
T-1 Wichanee Meechai 69-67-69—205
Also:
T-39 Hannah Green 76-71-72—219
T-39 Sarah Kemp 75-72-72—219
T-73 Gabriela Ruffels 75-73-75—223
MC Steph Kyriacou 77-76—153
MC Keeley Marx (a) 76-81—157
