PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. — UCLA alum Alison Lee showed up and out just outside of her hometown on Thursday at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship, kicking off her week at Palos Verdes Golf Club with a 5-under 66 that saw her make six birdies and one bogey to sit two back of the early lead held by Maude-Aimee Leblanc.
Lee started her day on No. 10, and the 29-year-old got off to a slow start, making three pars and a bogey in her first four holes of the round. She righted the ship quickly, however, rattling off three consecutive birdies on holes 14, 15 and 16 before parring 17 and 18 to turn in 2-under.
Lee grabbed another birdie on the par-4 1st hole to move to 3-under, making pars on her next three holes and then snagging a pair of birdies on the par-4 5th and par-5 7th holes to ultimately post a 5-under 66, her lowest round of the 2024 season thus far.
“In the past, I couldn't quite figure out this golf course, so it felt good to go out there and shoot a low number on the first round,” said Lee. “I had a lot of nerves coming into this week for sure. Even though we're kind of well into the season, I've only played one tournament so far this season coming off a hand injury, but it feels good to come back and shoot a low number out there. Giving myself a little bit of confidence, and thankfully all the hard work I put in is paying off.”
This is Lee’s second start of the season, and she’ll be looking to improve upon her T51 finish in her 2024 debut at the HSBC Women’s World Championship a few weeks ago. After being sidelined with a hand injury from a dog bite she suffered during the offseason, her preparations for her 10th year on the LPGA Tour were a bit derailed, ultimately leading to the sluggish start in Singapore.
But in contrast to maybe how she would’ve reacted in the past, Lee did her best to keep the result in perspective, reminding herself of just how strong her game has been in recent months. She was arguably one of the hottest players in women’s golf at the end of 2023, picking up her second career Ladies European Tour victory at the Aramco Team Series – Riyadh and recording three runner-up results on the LPGA Tour in her last three starts of the season.
It can be challenging to keep form like that going, however, particularly after an extended break, so carding a 66 on Thursday was a big relief for Lee, who thought she might have lost her game during her time away from competitive golf.
“Quite honestly, I feel like I've been on ice for a long time. My biggest fear, too, is losing it,” said Lee. “I had such a great end of the year last year. Golf is such an unpredictable game. I can have a really good stretch of events and then the next week you can play terribly. That's what your mind always goes to even though you shouldn't.
“That's where my mind went to after Singapore, but I had to dig deep and tell myself, like, hey, I haven't practiced before as well, and I wasn't prepared as well as I normally am for events. I tried to put that out of my mind and tell myself I'm going to do everything I can to get ready for this week. It feels good to shoot a low number on the first day.”
With her fears seemingly assuaged and 54 more holes to play just outside of her native Los Angeles, Lee is once again primed to make some noise this week at Palos Verdes Golf Club and will be looking to recreate the success she found in the first round over the next three days as she continues to try and track down that elusive first victory at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship.
“When you're playing good, you feel good. So, I'm just trying to enjoy every moment,” Lee said. “I feel like I worked pretty hard and prepped for this week. That's honestly all you can do. Even if I don't play well, I just have to do everything I can to move on and try and do better the next day.
“That's what I felt like I did well in Singapore. I had a really bad first round, and I just was beside myself. Then, I managed to have a really good second round and a really good final round. So having a few glimpses like that of shooting under par and making birdies definitely helps. It's nice to see all the hard work I put in come to fruition and hitting those shots on the course, making birdies, being in contention, that's why we work so hard.”
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