Min Woo Lee fired a 9-under-par 63 to sit tied for third after the first round of the PGA Tour event in Detroit, crediting his sister Minjee's recent major victory for inspiring his performance.
Lee equaled the course record at Detroit Golf Club before it was broken by Kevin Roy and Aldrich Potgieter, who both shot 10-under 62s. The Australian finished the day in a three-way tie for third, one shot off the lead.
Lee received a surprise phone call from his older sister Minjee after she won her third major at the Women's PGA Championship in Texas earlier this week. 'Normally, she doesn't check up on me, but it was actually quite nice to get a call from her,' Lee said.
'She's like, 'No, I just wanted to check in'. I was like, 'Oh, OK'. She's awesome,' Lee added. 'I think she had a bit of a night on Sunday with a few of her friends. It's good to see her in a nice mental space and happy on the course.'
Lee, who started on the back nine, opened with a birdie and a bogey before a spectacular run of nine birdies over the next 16 holes. Three consecutive birdies to finish the round left him tied with Americans Mark Hubbard and Max Greyserman.
The 25-year-old has struggled since winning the Houston Open in March, missing the cut at both the PGA Championship and US Open. He hopes the strong start in Detroit marks a return to form.
