Before the opening round, K.H. Lee had his hands full as the defending champion of the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Extra responsibilities from earlier in the week that ate into his time. proving that his win on the PGA Tour last year wasn’t a fluke Being partnered in the first two rounds alongside two of the tournament’s greatest stars, Dallas locals Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler.
Then he took a step to the first tee and realized he was 12 strokes behind.
Lee, on the other hand, didn’t let anything bother him in the opening round at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, where he began his title defense with an impressive 8-under-par 64.
Sebastian Munoz, who recorded a course record 60 and became the first player in PGA Tour history to shoot two rounds of 60 or better in a single season, was four strokes behind him.
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Lee, a nice, good-natured guy who appreciates a good joke, is unaffected by much. He stated publicly a few years back that his ambitions were to become the world’s No. 1 golfer and the sexiest golfer. His nameplate on the driving range at the CJ Cup last fall read, “Sexiest Golfer.” He recently stated that being sexy “means being a muscular guy.”
It’s conceivable in my dreams, but not in reality. I’ll work out hard, but I’ll also eat hard.”
He eats well at TPC Craig Ranch. He fired 65-65-67-66 last year to finish at 25 under par and three strokes ahead of the field. While world No. 1 Scheffler and three-time major champion Spieth both shot 67 this year, Lee started with six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 12th. Except for a couple makeable birdie putts that didn’t fall, his round could have been lower.
“I feel really at ease when I’m here,” Lee stated.
He also mentioned that he had the benefit of playing with two excellent players.
“It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it, so I’m extremely glad with the first round,” he remarked.
According to him, the course necessitates good iron play and strong putting. He understands he has to keep making red numbers after the round and after looking at the scoreboard.
“I need to go low under par because a lot of guys are scoring birdies and eagles,” he explained.
All of the athletes have this mindset. With spacious fairways, firm ground, and no wind for the majority of the day, nearly 60 of the 156 players in the field shot rounds in the 60s.
Expect more of the same in the coming weeks. According to the forecast, Thursday would be the windiest of the four days.
