Women's golf: No surprise a Korean leads as low-key Meena Lee is bogey-free

Published on Thursday 28 July 2011 19:57

IT WASN'T difficult to imagine that a Korean would be leading the Ricoh Women's British Open after the first day.

After all, the new powerhouse of women's golf is represented by no fewer than 28 players here in Carnoustie. But what wasn't anticipated was that Meena Lee would be the one to surge to the top of the leaderboard with an impressive seven-under-par first round score of 65. She was the only player not to drop a shot all day, her lone status preserved by Dewi Claire Schreefel's unfortunate bogey at the last as the light began to fade last night.

The day belonged to Lee. She finished two shots ahead of the American Brittany Lincicome, who enjoyed the best of the conditions in the morning. " You could have had on shorts and a short-sleeved shirt and been perfectly fine," said Lincicome. "Of course, I have three layers of pants and Under Armour and jacket anticipating snow. But this morning it was beautiful. It was unlike the British Open actually."

North Berwick's Catriona Matthew also enjoyed the best of the early morning conditions and finished joint leading Briton. Matthew went round in a very creditable two-under-par 70 and joins Wales' Becky Brewerton in a tie for seventh place. In Matthew's case, she enjoyed the calm and silence of the very early morning, having teed off at 6.52am. She got things underway with a birdie at the first and admitted the course had been "there for the taking" in the first hours of play, as the Scot went about her work undisturbed.

Being a local favourite - Matthew represents "Carnoustie Country" as an ambassador for the area - does not count for much at such an unearthly hour. "It was so early, everyone was still in bed," she replied, when asked whether the cheers from beyond the ropes had urged her on. She can count on greater backing today as the 2009 champion heads out again nearer midday.

On a calmer day than some had feared, the most errant driving came at the 17th hole, where a member of ESPN's technical support team somehow managed to ditch his buggy in the Barry Burn. "He didnae see it," explained an incredulous marshall. Others coped better with this course's most iconic feature.

Lee watched as her second shot at the 18th skipped over the burn and came to a rest just four feet from the hole, as she looked to finish the way she started yesterday - with a birdie. Although she only made par in the end after her putt lipped out of the hole, Lee's fortune moments earlier called to mind the luck which Darren Clarke had on his side on the final day at Royal St George's earlier this month.

There was a sharp intake of breath as Clarke's second shot at the 8th bounced between two formidable-looking bunkers at Sandwich, and then settled in the middle of the green. At roughly the same time, Phil Mickelson dropped a further shot behind the Irishman.It was a significant moment. Perhaps Lee will look back on her own blessing at the 18th as being a similarly crucial on the way to her own first major win.

It's fair to say that Lee, currently ranked at 54 in the world, is one of the less heralded Koreans here. Compatriots such as Jiyai Shin and Na Yeon Choi might have been expected by most to be the ones to blaze a trail here, and the latter did finish very much in contention with a three-under-par round of 69. But Lee stole the show. Like Clarke, she has been around for a while. She turns 30 on Christmas Day, by which time she will be back in her adopted home of Orlando, away from the driving Carnoustie rain. This unwelcome guest blew in during late morning and Lee, was out in the worst of it. It was wet and, in Lee's own description, "a little bit windy". Yet the Korean avoided collecting a single bogey in a round which did include seven birdies.

She introduced herself afterwards in the media tent and revealed that she had only started playing golf at the age of 15. The likes of Michelle Wie, who made a two-over-par score of 74 yesterday, were already out on the circuit by this stage. Lee had to first battle with her mother, who wanted her to continue piano lessons. This wasn't energetic enough for Lee, who made some sweet music at Carnoustie yesterday. Also in tune was the Scottish amateur player Patricia Pretswell. The 22-year-old business and management degree graduate from Glasgow University shot a par round of 72, and was delighted with her first day's performance. A bogey at the first suggested nerves were about to hamper her efforts. But she responded with a birdie at the second, and did not look back. "I went for it at the second hole, and felt more comfortable after that," she said.