Minjee Lee's hopes of winning a third tournament in her last four events have been buried by the record-breaking brilliance of her namesake Alison Lee in the Aramco Team Series in Saudi Arabia.
The American carded a second-successive 11-under round of 61 at Riyadh Golf Club on Saturday to smash the 36-hole scoring record on the Ladies European Tour and leave all her opposition floundering.
Minjee Lee, second overnight after her own dazzling opening round of 63, couldn't keep up the pace, as she had to settle for a second-round 70, a relatively disappointing two-under effort when her opponents seemed to be burning up the course at the Riyadh Golf Club
It left the Australian two-time major winner, who'd beaten Lee in the a play-off at the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea last weekend, on 11 under, tied for seventh 11 shots behind the American going into Sunday's final round.
Spain's Solheim Cup star Carlota Ciganda put together a superb round of 63 to go with her opening 65, but still found herself six shots down on the leader, such was Lee's monumental performance.
She still hasn't had a bogey after 36 holes, and has recorded 22 birdies over the two days.
"If you told me at the beginning of the week I was going to shoot 22 under after two days, I wouldn't have believed you, so I'm really happy with where I am right now," Lee said.
The 28-year-old, who also equalled an LET record with eight consecutive birdies in round one, found herself in with a shout of recording a 59 for the second day running.
She fired four consecutive birdies from the 12th to the 15th before a wonderful two on the signature par-3 penultimate hole meant she could still make a 59 if she eagled the last.
So she attempted to drive the green on the par-four final hole but came up just short as she found the desert sand. She then missed the 18-foot birdie putt that would have given her a 60.
“With five holes left, I kind of knew right then and there, ‘ok, let’s try and make a charge here’,” Lee said. "Unfortunately, I left my putt short on 16, so I was a little disappointed."
Ciganda and her three colleagues ended up winning the team tournament that runs alongside the individual event.
