After only arriving into Melbourne from the season-ending LPGA Tour finale in Florida 24 hours before her opening tee time at Victoria Golf Club on Thursday, a weary Lee’s putter failed to fire.
The 28-year-old finished her round at two-over 74, with plenty of ground to make up to catch the clubhouse leaders.
Fellow Australian Su Oh and South Korean amateur Hyojin Yang signed for seven-under scores at Kingston Heath and Victoria respectively.
Starting on the 10th hole at Victoria, Lee looked to have found some form with three birdies between the 17th and first – only to undo her good work with back-to-back bogeys.
Organisers didn’t do the former world No.2 any favours, scheduling her for a 7.11am AEDT start, which meant Lee had to be at the course at 5.30am.
“It was a short sleep, I’m pretty tired and was yawning quite a lot,” said the West Australian, who didn’t even get a practise round in due to the storms that smashed Melbourne on Wednesday afternoon.
“It was too early to even get a coffee, there was nowhere to get one.
“I probably wasn’t quite 100 percent on but there’s always tomorrow so hopefully I can make up for all the missed putts that I had today.”
Sliding down to world No.17 after a fruitless year, the Olympian admitted she was running on “overdrive”.
In 10 years as a professional, Lee has only missed holding aloft a trophy once, in COVID-19-interrupted 2020.
“I’m really on overdrive now, like, come the end of the season and this is always an extra week and it doesn’t make it any easier that it’s straight off the CME (Tour championship),” she said.
Remaining upbeat, Lee felt the soft conditions on the sandbelt courses following the heavy rain meant a win was still possible, with three rounds to play at Kingston Heath.
Lee’s best finish at the Open came last year when she placed runner-up, with Karrie Webb the last Australian winner back in 2014.
“Obviously I haven’t seen the golf course (Kingston Heath) and I can only remember a few holes out there,” Lee said.
“If it’s really that target golf, then I should be able to go low so I’m just going to do my best.
“I’ve hit the ball pretty consistently (this year) but my putting has been pretty streaky.
“I’ve been testing a few putters and some work and some don’t and it’s kind of been that kind of year.”
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