25 Apr 2025 | Professional golf |

Lee’s late surge halted at Chevron Championship

by Tony Webeck

Minjee Lee Chevron Championship
Minjee Lee was 2-under when play was suspended in Round 1 of the Chevron Championship. Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

Two-time major winner Minjee Lee will have to wait to complete Round 1 after dangerous weather conditions forced an early suspension of play at The Chevron Championship in Texas.

Lee had birdied two of her previous three holes when play was suspended at 6:19pm local time and ultimately suspended for the day at 7:10pm.

The West Australian and Sydney’s Grace Kim were the only two of seven Australians unable to complete Round 1 at The Club at Carlton Woods which will resume at 7:15am Friday (10:15pm AEST).

It was a frustrating way to finish for Lee who had hit all 17 greens in regulation to that point and was riding the momentum of two superb approach shots at the par-4 sixth and par-5 eighth.

Starting from the 10th tee, a three-putt bogey on 11 would be Lee’s only miss-step as she fought back to sit in a share of 16th at 2-under par, five strokes back of co-leaders Haeran Ryu (65) and Yan Liu (65).

Gabriela Ruffels also had to fight back late to advance her hopes of playing all four rounds in the first LPGA major of the season.

The Victorian had 12 pars and a single bogey at the par-4 fifth through 13 holes when she dropped to 2-over on her round due to a failed sand save at the par-4 14th.

The 25-year-old responded with birdie at the par-4 16th and then made it an even-par day with a closing birdie at the par-5 18th courtesy of a superb wedge shot to just three feet.

World No.5 Hannah Green was under par after just one hole courtesy of a birdie at the par-4 10th but would drop shots at one, six and nine on her back nine to end the day in a tie for 61st at 1-over.

After an early birdie at the par-4 second, Stephanie Kyriacou went from red to black numbers with a double-bogey at the par-3 third and would need 33 putts in her round of 2-over 74.

Playing in her first major championship, Cassie Porter dropped shots at two of her opening three holes but soon steadied, making birdies at four, 12 and 16 to open with 2-over 74.

Grace Kim’s normally superb iron play was surprisingly amiss to be 3-over through 16 holes while a triple-bogey at the par-3 seventh – her 16th hole – was the major blot on Hira Naveed’s 6-over 78 scorecard.

Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

Round 1 scores T16 Minjee Lee -2 (thru 17) T34 Gabriela Ruffels 72 T61 Lydia Ko (NZ) 73 T61 Hannah Green 73 T77 Stephanie Kyriacou 74 T77 Cassie Porter 74 T92 Grace Kim +3 (thru 16) T122 Hira Naveed 78

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