Minjee Lee – reacts to the crowd after a birdie at her 9th hole today – photo James Gilbert USGA
Australia’s Minjee Lee had done so well to work herself into contention on day two of the US Women’s Open before an agonising double bogey at her final hole has her now eight shots from the lead and in a share of 11th place as the event heads into the weekend at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Tied in 5th place with one hole to play and very much in the hunt, given the two shot leader Bailey Tardy is in her first year on the LPGA Tour and in rarefied atmosphere, Lee found trouble from the tee at what was her final hole of round two but the 9th hole at Pebble Beach after starting at the 10th today.
It was a body blow for the defending champion, especially given the dramatic recovery from the slow start she made but with only six players under par for the tournament, at 1 over she is still very much a consideration for the final 36 holes.
Lee, finished her opening round on Thursday four shots off the lead but with two early bogeys in her afternoon tee time and a second round of 68 by the now 36 hole leader, Tardy, the West Australian had fallen nine shots off the pace, needing something special to get back into the mix.
That would come at the par 4 16th hole (her 7th) where, after just missing the fairway left, she found a way to work the ball around the tree on her line short of the green and then feed off the very distinct right to left camber in the green to eventually find the bottom of the hole for eagle.
Lee almost repeated the dose from shorter range at the 18th (her 9th) to move under par for the tournament and although she would bogey the short par 4 4th hole after finding the fairway bunker from the tee, she made the almost obligatory birdie at the 6th and even allowing the demands of the 8th and 9th holes it appeared she would be well placed for the weekend.
As it turned out she still is but it was case of what might have been to some extent.
“I wasn’t hitting it that well pretty much the whole day,” said Lee. “I just kind of — I wouldn’t say scraped my way around but just played to the best I could and tried to put up a score the best I could around here.
“Playing late in the day was actually really hard. We waited like 30 minutes on the eighth tee, and the last two holes was really tough, just having to have waited and then have to play in the cold.
“Yeah, it was just a tough test.”
Despite her last hole struggle Lee still feels very much in contention. “I feel like I’m probably in a pretty good position right now,” she said. “Just if I can be maybe a little bit more aggressive and, you know, maybe put up a score earlier than the girls. Maybe it won’t be as windy. Then see where I am after that.
“I actually really appreciate the golf course because it’s actually very demanding. Yeah, I like it. I like that it’s hard.
Lee leads the Australasians by two over Lydia Ko and Hannah Green who both recorded very respectable rounds rounds of 71 after opening 76’s to be tied for 26th place at 3 over and ten shots from the lead.
Gabi Ruffels is in 47th place at 5 over while Grace Kim finished on the cut mark at 6 over.
The leader Tardy has played only four events on the LPGA Tour this season with a best of 23rd but she utilised her considerable power to tame the demanding Pebble Beach layout.
Tardy’s outward nine of 31 threatened to blow the field apart but on the more demanding final nine she dropped a shot at the 14th but as the only player in the field with two rounds in the 60’s she deserves her place at the head of the field at present.
The leader Bailey Tardy – photo Darren Carroll USGA
