Ga-Young Lee leads stroke play qualifying by five-strokes
(Golf Australia Photo)
VICTORIA, Australia (January 17, 2017) -- There are
course records, then there’s what Ga-Young Lee did
in the Australian Amateur Championship, presented
by Swinging Skirts, today.
The Korean obliterated the Peninsula-Kingswood
club’s Kingswood course record with a breath-taking
10-under-par 63 to lead by five after the first of two
qualifying rounds of stroke play.
In the afternoon field at nearby Yarra Yarra, a
rash of late birdies enabled Queenslander Karis
Davidson and Tasmanian Georgia Milbourne to sign
for 4-under 69's to grab a share of fifth on a day
dominated by Lee and her Korean compatriots who
own the top four places and have two more at 4-
under.
It’s easy to say Lee's mark sounds good, but
before you dismiss it as just another number,
consider this as background.
Lee’s round whipped a staggering four shots off
the previous record; that mark had been held by
Australian Olympian and LPGA Tour star Su Oh; and
when that mark was set, Kingswood played 200m
shorter than it did today and Oh was a member.
Oh, and did we mention she’s just 17?
Sure, we have to take into consideration the
relative difficulty of Kingswood against nearby Yarra
Yarra, where many of the top Australian chances
played this afternoon.
But Lee, the reigning New South Wales Amateur
champion after a successful visit last summer, also
played in gustier morning conditions and showed a
clean pair of Niblicks to even her vaunted national
teammates, the holders of the world Espirito Santo
trophy and Asia’s Queen Sirikit Cup.
Lee, whose goal is to turn professional and play
on the Japanese LPGA Tour, turned in an impressive
4-under 32.
But her round really took off when she made six
birdies in seven holes from the 12th to come home
in 7-under 31.
It’s eye-popping golf, by any standard.
And when you consider Lee is the eighth-ranked
Korean in the world standings, it’s hard to
comprehend the depth of talent being produced by
our northern neighbors.
For the record, world No. 4 Hye-jin Choi fired a
5-under 68 to sit T2, while reigning US Amateur and
US Girls’ Amateur – yes, both – and world No. 11
Eun Jeong Seong signed for a 4-under 69.
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Ga-Young
Lee's scorecard
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ABOUT THE
Australian Women's Amateur
The Australian Men's and Women's Amateur
Championships are Australia's
oldest Amateur Golf Championships, with both having
been played since 1894.
Long held as a match play event, in 2021 the format
changed to 72 holes of
stroke play.
View Complete Tournament Information