Aussies surge into contention at Evian
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Minjee Lee leading Australian charge at Women's British Open golf after first round
With a typically classy finish, Minjee Lee has fired an early warning to her rivals at the Women's British Open in Wales. Australia's resurgent superstar negotiated some wild and windy morning conditions to post a solid first-round 2-under-par 70 to sit three shots off the lead. Bidding to win a fourth career major after taking out June's PGA Championship, Lee offset three bogeys with five birdies at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. After a disappointing six on the reachable par-five 13th, Lee rebounded with a brilliant sand-save birdie on the last hole to be sitting tied for 14th. Fellow Australians Grace Kim and Gabriela Ruffels are one stroke further back, tied for 30th. Eri Okayami and Rio Takeda carded 5-under 67s to share the first-round lead as the Japanese contingent shone in the early stages. Compatriot Miyu Yamashita was a shot behind while Chisato Iwai, Shiho Kuwaki and Mao Saigo all posted 69s as Japan accounted for six of the top 13. "I don't think I'm going to complain with a two-under start," Lee said. "Some of the holes are just beasts out there. "Sometimes you've got to take what you get and just make a bogey and get out of there and reset, try and make a better score on the next hole. "It's a major championship. You''re going to make bogeys. Just try to keep your emotions in check and take it one shot at a time." Do you have a story idea about women in sport? Email us abcsport5050@ Kim, one of nine Australians featuring at golf's final major of the year, was also well positioned four shots off the clubhouse lead when she signed for a one-under 71. After backing up Lee's PGA Championship win in June to give Australia two consecutive major victories with a stunning finish at the Evian Championship, Kim held her nerve down the stretch to stay in the mix in Wales. Kim was 1-over at the turn before collecting two birdies on the back nine to remain in the mix for back-to-back majors. She admitted it had been a battle of attrition against the elements, saying: "Just try to keep grinding it out the next three days as well hopefully. This whole week, literally I think the best word to describe it is a 'grind'. "That's kind of what you're going to get throughout these weeks, this week anyway with the conditions. The wind did pick up certain holes, the sun came out, and then it disappeared. "The amount of wind was up-and-down throughout the day. Knowing that, really just trying to hit fairways and greens and just make a lot of pars." Fellow 24-year-old Australian Ruffels joined Kim at 1-under with a similarly hot finish and birdie at the last. "I think I played super solid on the front nine as well. Started to get it together on the back nine and make a few more putts. I think I was three-under on the back nine. Really happy with that," she said. Compatriot Steph Kyriacou endured a problematic round to finish 2-over and it was a tough start for fellow Australians Karis Davidson (5-over) and Kirsten Rudgeley (6-over). Out-of-form world number 11 Hannah Green and Cassie Porter are almost certain to miss the halfway cut after both opened with 7-over 79 shockers. AAP
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Minjee Lee one of nine Australian golfers at this week's Women's Open
Hungry for a rare career grand slam, a refreshed Minjee Lee has arrived at the Women's British Open ready to confront head-on the beauty and the beast that is Royal Porthcawl. Australian round one tee times All times AEST. Porter tees off Friday AM Australian time. After capturing the third leg of women's golf's fabled slam with victory at last month's PGA Championship, Lee needs an Open triumph and a Chevron Championship to complete the set. Americans Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, Julie Inkster and Louise Suggs, South Korean Inbee Park, great Swede Annika Sorenstam and Australian Karrie Webb are the only players recognised with achieving a career grand slam after winning four different major championships. But only the legendary Webb, Australia's most prolific major winner with seven all up, has completed the "super grand slam" of five different majors. After some much-needed rest and recovery and no golf in London, Lee admitted trying to join her childhood idol and mentor was a huge goal. "All the majors are a great motivator for me, so yes, I definitely want to win it [the British Open] at some stage and be able to get the career grand slam," the 29-year-old said. "That would be absolutely amazing … and now that I look back at it right now, this is what I can say: that's quite a big motivation for me to try and get over the line." With a tie for third behind victorious compatriot Grace Kim at this month's Evian Championship, a joint 14th at the Chevron and an equal 22nd at the US Open, Lee also enters the week leading the ANNIKA Major Award. With another strong finish in Wales, the 2022 recipient could join world number one Nelly Korda (2024) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2018) as only the third player to claim major-player-of-the-year honours twice. To do so, Lee knows she will need to be on top of her game at the picturesque seaside layout hosting the Open for the first time. Do you have a story idea about women in sport? Email us abcsport5050@ "It's going to be a really great challenge," the West Australian said. "You have to be really strong off the tees, with driver, whatever you have off the tee. "And then the wind and the way the holes are shaped, it's kind of tricky. "There's a lot of shots that go up into the air and the green's are a little bit lower, so you can't really see where they land. There's a couple of blind shots. "So it reminds me of an in-between links and kind of a regular golf course, but without trees. "The landscape is really lovely and you can see the ocean, so it just feels like it's going to be a great trip, just a good test." Grace Kim will be hoping to follow her Evian Championship success with a win at the British Open. With five top-10 finishes in 11 Open starts, Lee is the most credentialled of the nine Australians in the 145-strong field. But any number of the classy contingent are capable of contending. Lee is joined by fellow major champions Hannah Green and Kim, Gabriela Ruffels, who led into the final round of the Evian Championship, 2024 Evian runner-up Steph Kyriacou and fellow LPGA Tour stars Cassie Porter, Karis Davidson and Hira Naveed. European Tour pro Kirsten Rudgeley will round out a nine-strong Australian challenge on her major championship debut. The purse for golf's final major of the year is $US9.5 million ($A14.6 million), with the winner pocketing $US1.425 million ($A2.2 million). AAP
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
'Big test': Minjee Lee leads strong Aussie Open assault
Hungry for a rare career grand slam, a refreshed Minjee Lee has arrived at the Women's British Open ready to confront head-on the beauty and the beast that is Royal Porthcawl. After capturing the third leg of women's golf's fabled slam with victory at last month's PGA Championship, Lee needs an Open triumph and a Chevron Championship to complete the set. Americans Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, Julie Inkster and Louise Suggs, South Korean Inbee Park, great Swede Annika Sorenstam and Australian Karrie Webb are the only players recognised with achieving a career grand slam after winning four different major championships. But only the legendary Webb, Australia's most prolific major winner with seven all up, has completed the "super grand slam" of five different majors. After some much-needed R&R and no golf in London, Lee admits trying to join her childhood idol and mentor is a huge goal. "All the majors are a great motivator for me, so yes, I definitely want to win it (the British Open) at some stage and be able to get the career grand slam," the 29-year-old said. "That would be absolutely amazing ... and now that I look back at it right now, this is what I can say: that's quite a big motivation for me to try and get over the line." With a tie for third behind victorious compatriot Grace Kim at this month's Evian Championship, a joint 14th at the Chevron and an equal 22nd at the US Open, Lee also enters the week leading the ANNIKA Major Award. With another strong finish in Wales, the 2022 recipient could join world No.1 Nelly Korda (2024) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2018) as only the third player to claim major-player-of-the-year honours twice. To do so, Lee knows she will need to be on top of her game at the picturesque seaside layout hosting the Open for the first time. "It's going to be a really great challenge," the West Australian said. "You have to be really strong off the tees, with driver, whatever you have off the tee. "And then the wind and the way the holes are shaped, it's kind of tricky. "There's a lot of shots that go up into the air and the green's are a little bit lower, so you can't really see where they land. There's a couple of blind shots. "So it reminds me of an in-between links and kind of a regular golf course, but without trees. "The landscape is really lovely and you can see the ocean, so it just feels like it's going to be a great trip, just a good test." With five top-10 finishes in 11 Open starts, Lee is the most credentialled of the nine Australians in the 145-strong field. But any number of the classy contingent are capable of contending. Lee is joined by fellow major champions Hannah Green and Kim, Gabriela Ruffels, who led into the final round of the Evian Championship, 2024 Evian runner-up Steph Kyriacou and fellow LPGA Tour stars Cassie Porter, Karis Davidson and Hira Naveed. European Tour pro Kirsten Rudgeley will round out a nine-strong Australian challenge on her major championship debut. The purse for golf's final major of the year is $US9.5 million ($A14.6 million), with the winner pocketing $US1.425 million ($A2.2 million).
