A willingness to adopt an aggressive approach from hole one has earned Min Woo Lee a share of the lead after the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia.
RELATED: This mistake is torturing pros at Aronimink
Deep rough and dramatically contoured greens running at more than 12 on the Stimpmeter meant no player went lower than three-under 67, Lee to start round two tied with world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, 2010 PGA champion Martin Kaymer and fellow German Stephan Jaeger, South African Aldrich Potgieter, American Alex Smalley and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune.
One of six Australians in the field, Lee was one of seven players to post 67 after a concerted effort to play his way into the tournament rather than trying to not play his way out of it.
RELATED: Question Time – Min Woo Lee
Despite bogeys at either end of his round at the 10th and eighth holes, Lee had five birdies throughout the rest of his round, the highlight a tee shot that brushed past the left side of the hole before coming to rest two feet away for birdie at the 163-metre, par-3 fifth.
Queenslanders Cameron Smith and Jason Day are both in a share of 15th at one-under, Kiwi Ryan Fox bogeyed his final hole to end the day at even-par as countryman Daniel Hillier shot a one-over 71 in his first PGA Championship start.
RELATED: Rory McIlroy only needed one NSFW word to describe odd round that included a bad career-first
Adam Scott and Elvis Smylie are in a tie for 67th after rounds of two-over 72, Travis Smyth two shots further back at four-over but with a moment to savour after holing a putt for eagle from 54 feet at the par-5 16th.
Lee’s 67 is a career low for the opening round of a major championship and just the third time he has broken 70 on day one in what is the 19th major of his career.
Stinging from missing the cut at the Masters, the 27-year-old decided to trust his talents and take it up to the golf course.
“We’re all trying to get off to a good start. I think over the past few months I haven’t done that,” Lee admitted.
“Just a little bit of a mindset change, go out there and be aggressive. You know that saying of you can shoot yourself out of a Thursday, but I think I’ve nearly taken that too far and played a little bit conservative.
RELATED: With LIV’s future uncertain, Bryson DeChambeau came to make a statement and made the wrong one
“I’m hitting the ball really good, so why not go at some pins and make some putts?
“It’s tough, but I think it was kind of the right time to put the foot on the pedal a little bit and hit some shots that needed to be more aggressive than not.”
In potentially a good omen for the West Australian, the last time he broke 70 in the first round of a major he went on to finish tied for fifth at the 2023 US Open at LA Country Club, his best finish in a major to date.
With rough so penal and the ability to control spin never more important, Lee hit 10 of 14 fairways at an average of 342.5 yards (313.2 metres).
It provided the launching pad to employ the aggressive mentality he wanted to bring to his approach shots.
“Drove the ball really well,” continued Lee.
“I think every major you have to, but especially this course, the rough is pretty juicy, and you don’t want to attack the greens over in the rough just because you can get some flyers or you can get some lies that sit down.
“So drove it really well and pretty happy with that side of the game.”
In the week he confirmed a split from long-time coach Grant Field, it was a bright start too for Smith.
Starting his championship from the 10th tee, the 2022 Open champion had three birdies in his opening seven holes to also have a share of the lead at three-under, giving two back at the 17th and 18th to turn in one-under. A birdie at the par-5 ninth would see Smith play the front nine in even-par as he seeks to end a run of six-straight missed cuts in majors.
