Min Woo Lee will relish the pressure of being the hunted at the Australian PGA after a stunning first-round 64 at Royal Queensland on Thursday was bettered only by a Spanish bolter as defending champ Cameron Smith lamented a “crappy” opening to his title defence.
Aided by a late switch to a new putter, Lee’s final hole birdie was one of eight in a scintillating opening round which sent him to the top of the leaderboard, only for Spain’s world No.1162 Joel Moscatel Nachshon to upstage him by a shot with a course-record equalling 63.
The Spaniard put his name up in lights among a cast of big names including two-time winner Adam Scott, who is three behind after an opening round five-under 66, with Lucas Herbert and others equalling that effort.
Superstar Smith is not among them however, managing just a single birdie in an opening day two-over 73, leaving him 10 shots off the leader.
But Lee, the world No.45 showed no adverse effects from his 6:10am tee time starting with a seven-under round, seriously outpointing playing partner and three-time champion Smith, making just one bogey in a round which set up his title at a first PGA win.
“I felt like I didn’t leave much out there and it was a very solid round,” Lee said.
“I putted and chipped really nicely, and then drove it really good.
“You’ve got to hit decent approach shots around this course. You’ve got to miss them in the right spots.
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“I think my approach play was spot on today. I didn’t miss too many greens, so that helped.”
Lee, who secured playing rights on the US PGA Tour for 2024 after a year which included winning the Macau Open, only arrived in Brisbane on Monday after playing in the DP Tour’s season-ending tour championship in Dubai.
He only made three birdies on his opening nine holes before storming home with another five on the back to seize the lead with 30 players under par among the morning groups which started play at 6am local time at the Royal Queensland Golf Club.
Lee, who changed putters the day before the tournament, said he would enjoy the expectations on him now he’s jumped to the lead.
He flourished under the pressure of being the highest ranked player at last month’s Macau Open, which he won with a score of 30-under.
“I felt like I’ve had some pressure on me at some tournaments and I haven’t been able to capitalise,” he said
“Today I could show myself that I could do that and (at) Macau … it was good to hit every shot the way I wanted to and prove to myself that I could do that with that type of pressure.”
While 30-under probably won’t be needed to win at Royal Queensland, Lee believed 20-under would be around the winning score this week.
Queenslander Scott, a two-time Australian PGA champion, agreed after his first-round 66.
Scott, who talked about his strong desire to win for the first time since 2020, had a bogey before his first birdie but like Lee found them plentiful in a positive start to his quest for a third PGA title.
“Hopefully (the opening round) sets the tone but if you’re not five-under this morning it’s going to be a look week to get to 20-under,” said the former world No.1 said, who is chasing his first win since February 2020.
“You’ve got to chip away at it day by day and I’m on par for that target because it’s going to get close to that score this week.
“I think I did a very good job today and I’m very pleased with that.”
Smith, however, never got going and the 2022 British Open winner managed just a single birdie and three bogeys in his roundto find himself in a tie for 56th in the early stages of the tournament.
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