Min Woo Lee closes in on rare and famous golf double

If he wins again to hoist the Stonehaven Cup, the 25-year-old West Australian would join legends including Greg Norman (1985), Peter Thomson (1967) and Kel Nagle (1959) and become only the seventh player to pull off the Australian Open-PGA double.

Greg Chalmers (2011), Robert Allenby (2005) and Peter Lonard (2004) have also achieved the rare feat.

“If I win, I win and last week was last week,” Lee shrugged.

“I played great then, so hopefully I can finish it off tomorrow. I know there’s a lot of history to it, but it’s just another tournament.

“If it goes well, it goes well.”

The co-leaders hold a one-shot buffer over Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who carded a 66 on Saturday, and American Patrick Rodgers (68).

Lee’s fellow Australian Lucas Herbert is just two strokes off the pace in outright fifth after a moving-day 66, with the rest of the chasing pack at least four behind.

Cameron Smith’s chances of winning the Open for a first time look slim, with the 2022 British Open champion back in a tie for 25th at six under, and seven shots behind, after a round of 69.

Minjee Lee fights back

Lee’s sister and Australian world No.5 Minjee Lee roared back to life after a disappointing second round to also fire a new low mark of 67 and sit in outright third.

Alas, Lee will need to make up a seven-shot deficit to Ashleigh Buhai, who doesn’t look like budging in her quest to become the first player since Taiwan’s former world No.1 and five-time major champion Yani Tseng in 2011 to successfully defend the title.

Buhai is cherishing the chance to claim back-to-back Women’s Australian Open crowns after seizing command with a brilliant third-round showing in Sydney.

The steely South African pulled off a five-shot swing to open up a three-stroke lead over halfway pacesetter and former world No.1 Jiyai Shin with a course-record five-under-par 67 on Saturday

“Yeah, it would be very special,” Buhai said. “Webby (four-time champion Karrie Webb) text me at the beginning of the week wishing me luck and, yeah, if I could put my name on that trophy twice it would be great.”

Lee isn’t giving up either after rebounding from a deflating 75 on Friday to give herself a glimmer of hope and also keep the dream of an historic family double alive.

She reeled off five birdies on the front nine alone.

“I just hit my irons a little bit closer and that just gave myself a couple more opportunities for birdies,” Lee said.

“So yeah, had a really nice front nine and made one bogey and one birdie on the back.

“I’ll just have to post a really low score tomorrow, I think, but I can do it.”

Fellow Australian LPGA Tour star Steph Kyriacou – who went to school right next door in Kensington and often played The Australian before and after her studies – also made a move with a 69 to jump up to equal fourth at four under with South Korean Jenny Shin (74).

Lee and Kyriacou seem the only two home hopes with a chance of breaking the nine-year women’s title drought.

The legendary Webb is the only Australian to win the women’s Open in the past quarter of a century and last reigned in 2014.

Teenage amateur Ann Jang earlier on Saturday recorded a rare albatross in a spectacular start to her third round.

Jang holed her three-wood second shot at the par-5 first hole to leap from three over to even par for the championship in one fell swoop.

A member of the nearby NSW club in La Perouse, 16-year-old Jang is the latest amateur to announce their arrival on the big stage this week, rocketing up to a share of 11th on the leaderboard midway through her third round.

Jang eventually signed for a 73 to be tied for 22nd at four over.

AAP and Reuters