PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. ā Minjee Lee shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over top-ranked Jin Young Ko halfway through the first round of the Palos Verdes Championship.
Coming off a third-place tie Sunday in the LA Open at Whilshire Country Club, Lee had a bogey-free round at hilly Palos Verdes Estates in the first-year event that wraps up the LPGA Tour's West Coast swing.
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āI took Monday off. Didnāt even come to the course,ā Lee said. āTuesday, I played nine holes and then I saw the other nine in the pro-am. ... I think itās so hilly out here that you want to keep your legs fresh.ā
The Australian closed with a 5-under 31 on the front nine.
āI think itās just the way like the holes are set up,ā Lee said. āThere are a lot of birdie opportunities starting the front nine. Even like the first hole and the second and third, theyāre all wedges in. ... I just think there are a lot of opportunities in a row that you can kind of capitalize on.ā
She won the Evian Championship last season for her first major title and sixth LPGA Tour victory.
Ko had six straight birdies on Nos. 2-7 on her final nine. She stumbled to a tie for 21st last week after sharing the lead with winner Nasa Hataoka late in the third round at difficult Whilshire.
āBefore starting today I just remind (myself) that golf is golf,ā Ko said. āDonāt think about last week. Starting again, new routine.ā
Charley Hull, Moriya Jutanugarn and Jennifer Chang shot 65, and Albane Valenzuela had a 66.
Lexi Thompson played in the afternoon.
Anna Davis, the Augusta National Womenās Amateur winner, opened with a 71 in her first LPGA Tour start. The 16-year-old is from Spring Valley east of San Diego. She received a sponsor exemption.
āI think it was pretty much like every other tournament I would say,ā Davis said. āThere werenāt like as many people, but Iām expecting the next few days to see some more people out here. ... I wasnāt super nervous or anything.ā
Hataoka is taking the week off.