The winds that have historically challenged the Blue Bay LPGA field returned on Friday, but they weren't enough to blow Mi Hyang Lee off course. Lee cruised to a bogey-free, six-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead through 36 holes. Navigating the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course with precision, Lee carded six birdies, hit 10 of 14 fairways, and needed only 25 putts to post one of the low rounds of the day.

Despite the breezy conditions, Lee felt comfortable with the environment. "Wind is blowing more than I expected this morning, but still better than yesterday afternoon," Lee said about Friday's conditions. "I was more used to the wind, and similar direction as well; it wasn't that hard for me to play."

Lee's mastery of the greens was the highlight of her round. She attributed her success to a focused approach to the course's difficult greens.

Lee said she "dropped a lot of putts," giving her more confidence in Friday's round. This golf course has very tricky green undulations, so the 32-year-old focused on making those putts and staying focused, allowing her to make a lot of birdies and keep it bogey-free.

Lee's last LPGA Tour victory came in 2017 at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open (now the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open). After posting consecutive rounds of 67 and 66, the Republic of Korea native isn't letting the pressure of a drought-breaking win distract her.

While she admits her game is not "100% yet," she has found a strategy that works for the layout of the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course.

"I think this golf course key thing is have to use small green, small section. We have a lot of undulation on the green, so sometimes chipping is better than long putting."

For the 32-year-old, the Blue Bay LPGA is a favorite Tour stop. Beyond the course, she appreciated the hospitality and travel logistics of the week. "The hotel is really good, and we have a charter flight from Singapore, so that's good, too," Lee noted. "Weather is nice; I think it feels great."

This event marks the third week of the early Asia swing for the two-time LPGA Tour winner. After finishing T24 at the Honda LPGA Thailand and T58 last week in Singapore at the HSBC Women's World Championship, Lee is now in a prime position to chase her third career victory.

Despite the pressure from the field, Lee remains grounded. "I think everyone can win this tournament," she said. "I have a good position right now, but I think everyone has a good chance."

First-round leaders Weiwei Zhang shot 1-under-par 71 and sits in a share of fourth at 7-under for the tournament, while Mary Liu and rookie Youmin Hwang, who are a shot further back at 6-under, are in a tie for seventh.

Last week's runner-up, Auston Kim, is just two shots back of Lee after shooting a 4-under 68 on day two in the People's Republic of China.

Mi Hyang Lee Takes One-Stroke Lead Into the Weekend at Blue Bay LPGA

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