Minjee Lee sits equal second in PGA Championships - just three strokes off the leader
Focus and patience that is what Australian golfer Minjee Lee says will be key to her bid to claim a third major title at this weekend's KPMG Women's PGA Championships in Texas.
The West Australian sits tied in second after Round 2 – just three strokes off leader Jeeno Thitiku.
Lee pulled off a remarkable comeback on the back nine with three birdies and a bogey keeping her in touch with Thailand's Thitiku at the end of the day.
She is one of seven Australian's to advance to the third round.
Lee, 29, hasn't won a major title since 2022.
She said the einner would be the player who best coped with the heat, wind and difficult course.
'It's going to be windy the whole weekend, too, so I think we kind of know what to expect now,' Lee said.
'I think it will be whoever has the best recovery in this heat and also who doesn't make like soft bogeys.
'It's been so hot and it's a really slow round, so you've just got to try and focus as best you can.
'That's the person who is going to, at the end of the week, hold the trophy.'
Lee said she got off to a shaky start.
She hit ten of 14 fairways, but left herself leaning on her short game often as she hit 11 of 18 greens in regulation.
She proved her skills with the putter and a birdie putt from 16 feet at the par-4 second proved a turning point for Lee.
Lee had a chance from 18 feet to move within two of Thitikul at the par-5 ninth but left her birdie putt short.
'I felt like I started a little bit shaky,' Lee said.
'Turned in 2-over and I knew there was a few opportunities on the front nine to make a couple birdies.
'I just tried to stay patient out there. It was really windy and quite hard to hold some of the greens.
'I just tried to stay within myself and just be smart and play to my advantages.'
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