Minjee Lee has made a decent if uneven start to her bid for a third major title, shooting a level-par 72 at the Women’s British Open at Walton Heath.
Lee, seeking to win a major for the third successive year after a largely disappointing 2023 campaign, recorded four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in her early-morning start on Thursday at the Ryder Cup course south-west of London.
Despite the helter-skelter finish to her round, following up her double bogey six at the 15th with two birdies and then a bogey at the last, Lee’s 72 represented a solid opening as none of the early wave could burn up the tough course.
The three early clubhouse leaders were South Korean Jeongeun Lee6, Denmark’s Emily Pedersen and France’s Perrine Delacour, who all shot three-under 69s, one clear of five players on two under, headed by Spain’s Carlota Ciganda.
Ciganda’s early share of the lead came just two weeks after she had being disqualified at the last major, the Evian Championship, for refusing to accept a slow-play penalty.
The 33-year-old was penalised by two shots at the French major but wouldn’t amend her card after her appeal was rejected and was therefore disqualified for signing for a score lower than actually taken.
Asked if she had played quicker on Thursday, Ciganda told reporters: “Yeah, on the greens a little bit quicker. We’ve been practising the routine and I think we were fine today.
“We’ve been waiting a few holes to the group in front, so I think we did a good job.
“You have to understand that it’s professional golf and we are playing for a living and sometimes majors, if you hit it in the rough or a bad situation, it’s going to take longer.
“If you make a bogey, it’s just a couple more minutes, so I think they should understand that a bit more.”
Sydney’s rising star Steph Kyriacou, the first Australian in action on Thursday, suffered a bogey at the last to end up with a one-over 73, the same score posted by American world No.1 Nelly Korda.