Minjee’s birdie blitz boosts Olympic medal hopes – Golf Australia Magazine – The Women’s Game

But just when Australia’s double major-winning star was limping towards the conclusion of a poor opening first round at the women’s tournament at Le Golf National on Wednesday, she delivered a champion’s salvo to get right back into the podium hunt.

Lee’s four birdies over the difficult final five-hole stretch transformed her mundane round, dragging the 28-year-old from three-over to finish on one-under 71, tied for seventh after the first day.

But like the rest of the field, Lee was left in the distance by inspired home favourite, Celine Boutier, who fired a seven-under 65 to lead by three shots from South African Ashleigh Buhai and offer the early scent of a famous French triumph. 

Following the superb display by her men’s counterpart Victor Perez, who she’d cheered on when he finished fourth on Sunday, the 30-year-old leader, winner of her only major on home soil at the Evian Championships last year, holed seven birdie putts and chipped in for an eighth.

Others were floundering on another lovely day at the Ryder Cup venue 30km east of Paris, as Boutier and Buhai were the only players to break 70.

Lee toiled, dropping three shots over the first dozen holes, and looked in danger of having an opening round like younger sibling Min Woo’s 76 in the men’s event that immediately put him out of contention.

But the 2021 Evian winner and 2022 U.S Open champion then came alive. 

“I was pretty much scrambling for most of the day, trying to make up-and-downs, made some, missed some, and then I just really gave myself a bit of a nudge and thought, ‘I have to make a few birdies coming in’,” said Lee.

She was good to her word, getting up-and-down from 100 yards at the long 14th, calling it an “ugly birdie”,  holing a 25 footer at the next for another and then hitting her tee shot to six feet at 16 for three straight, before a fourth came at the long 18th.

“The crowds were so amazing out there today,” enthused Lee, who loved the atmosphere in her third Games.

“I was playing in front of Celine, they were literally chanting her name and clapping at most of the holes when she was having an amazing day.

“It really feels like what I imagined the Olympics to be.”

But there was a blow for the powerful Australian challenge as world No.6 Green, who had starred with a fifth-place finish in Tokyo in 2021 and has enjoyed a couple of LPGA Tour wins this year, had a wretched day. Her five-over par 77 left her tied for 46th in the 60-strong field.

Nelly Korda, seeking to defend her crown and emulate fellow U.S world No.1 Scottie Scheffler’s triumph in the men’s event, made a steady start on level par.