FRISCO, Texas — Minjee Lee knows how to play in windy conditions having growing up in Australia and now living in North Texas. She also has experience winning majors.
The two-time major champion is in position for another one after the first bogey-free round for anyone during the wind-swept KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Her 3-under 69 in the third round Saturday pushed her into the lead, four strokes ahead of Jeeno Thitikul.
''I'm constantly practicing in windy conditions ... It is windy, but not this windy, and it's really consistent as well,'' Lee said. ''Yes, I can hit a knock-down shot, but you also have to play the wind. You have to play so much extra out here that you have to be a little more creative.''
Lee was at 6-under 210 after beginning the round three strokes behind Thitikul, the world's No. 2-ranked player who led alone at the end of each of the first two days. Lee went ahead to stay with a 2-foot par at the 405-yard 12th hole when Thitikul had her second consecutive bogey, and fourth of the day on way to a round of 76.
''She played absolutely an `A' game for sure,'' Thitikul said. ''I never saw her miss today at all.''
When Lee did miss, she was 7-for-7 scrambling.
Far from tree-lined Sahalee outside Seattle where the Women's PGA was last year, Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco is much more open and exposed to the ever-present Texas wind that was the strongest it had been all week. There were gusts of more than 30 mph Saturday, with much the same forecast for Sunday. Temperatures were again in the mid-90s.
Nelly Korda, the world's top-ranked player, described the conditions as ''just brutal'' after her round of 72 that began with back-to-back bogeys. She finished with five birdies and five bogeys and is tied for sixth at 2-over 218.