SEOUL: Australian golfer Minjee Lee captured a 36-hole lead at the BMW Ladies Championship, the only LPGA tournament in South Korea this fall, on Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee shot a three-under 69, bringing her total score to 11-under at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, located northwest of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. She currently holds a two-stroke lead over Alison Lee of the United States and Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa.
In discussing her performance, Minjee Lee pointed to her past experiences of contending for titles as an asset for the tournament. As for playing in South Korea, the land of her parents' birth, Lee expressed her emotional connection to the country.
Two South Korean players, Lee Jeong-eun and Ryu Hae-ran, are in a tie for fourth place, along with defending champion Lydia Ko. Birdies were more difficult to achieve in Friday's windier and cooler conditions compared to the previous day, when Buhai led the leaderboard with a 10-under 62.
The tournament carries a prize pool of $2.2 million, with the winner set to take home $330,000.