Fast start lifts Lee’s spirits

GEELONG golfers Ben Eccles and Deyen Lawson enjoyed solid starts to the NSW Open as Min Woo Lee emerged as favourite to win the title at Twin Creeks Golf Club.

Lee, who narrowly missed out on a full European Tour card, rebounded strongly in the opening round yesterday, carding a eight-under 64 to be one shot off Josh Younger.

Eccles and Lawson had different journeys to their scores of three-under, tied for 17th.

Eccles started strongly to be two-under after nine and was four-under after 15, but finished bogey, birdie, bogey.

Lawson made the turn at one-over, before firing up with a four-under back nine.

Jack Murdoch battled his way to four-over for the day.

Lee’s highlight came with an eagle on the 12th after driving the short par four. He also collected seven birdies.

“I just played pretty solid. Kinda stress-free,” he said.

Eyeing his maiden victory on home soil, his start comes barely a month after a sloppy finish at the Portugal Masters cost the 21-year-old his full 2020 playing rights in Europe.

Lee finished two positions outside the top 115 who automatically get a full card for next year, earning partial rights instead, after finding the water on the penultimate hole. “I didn’t know until the cameras came out on 17 and 18 that I was the bubble boy, which was kind of heartbreaking because I made a double (bogey) on 17,” he said.

“But I’m still in a pretty good position for next year so I’m just happy where I am.”