NEW MOTHER LEE BEATS EXPECTATIONS ON RETURN TOACTION AT ARAMCO HOUSTON CHAMPIONSHIP

New mother Alison Lee could barely keep the smile off her face after recovering from a slow start with a strong finish to the opening round of the Golf Saudi-backed Aramco Houston Championship on Friday.

Making her return to competitive golf just 19 weeks after giving birth to her son Levi, she had been unsure of what to expect at a sun-baked Golfcrest Country Club but she put those doubts to rest with a stunning burst of four birdies in six holes on her back nine.

That left her with an opening 2-under 70 at the fourth and penultimate stop in this season's PIF Global Series, after she had started out with 10 successive pars before running up a double-bogey at the par-4 11th.

A nine-iron to 15 feet at the par-3 12th set up her first birdie of the day, and she then picked up further shots at the 14th, 15th and 17th to cap a memorable return to competition, and leave her just four shots behind leader Mimi Rhodes of England.

"Honestly, I felt like I was hitting it really well all day," said the 30-year-oldCalifornian, who had played only 18 holes twice since October before feeling that she was ready for an LET comeback this week. "The double was just a couple of dumb mistakes.

"The front nine was pretty steady, maybe a little boring, but solid. On the back nine I started hitting it closer, giving myself better birdie chances. I had a lot more approach shots with shorter clubs, which made it easier to attack the pins. Statistically, I hit a lot of fairways and greens, so overall it was a good round."

During her preparations earlier this week, Lee had felt she was just as capable of shooting an 80 or a 70 in her first competitive round of the year - simply because she did not know what to expect.

"But I felt like my game was in a good place, and it's nice to see that the work I've put in is paying off and to be in a decent position," said Lee, whose only two LET victories came at the 2021 Aramco Team Series – Sotogrande and the 2023 Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF – Riyadh.

"I still feel like I could've played better today, but I can't complain. It's just goodto be back out here and to make some birdies again. My first birdie in competition for a while felt amazing."

Based on the relative success of her opening round, Lee said that her expectations for the weekend were to "hopefully" play a little better.

"I made four birdies today, and I felt like there were more out there," she added."The goal is just to avoid the kind of mistake I made with the double, keep giving myself chances, and maybe shoot three-under tomorrow. That would be nice."

Lee was also thrilled to experience the newly-branded PIF Global Series where amateur players are no longer included and four professionals are grouped as a team.

"It was great, and I feel like our team played really well today. Ashley (Lau) shot 4-under, so she's in a great position, and Marta (Sanz Barrio) made a few good birdies early on. Seeing them make birdies gave me motivation to be a bit more aggressive myself. Golf can be so individual, so it's nice to share the experience with a team."

While competing in the Aramco Houston Championship, Lee has her mother by her side to help with baby duties as she dips her toes back into the waters of professional golf. She plans to use this trip to Texas "not so much to come back but just kind of test where my game is at right now" and to see what life is like on the road with a baby boy.

"I wanted to try and play a few tournaments this year," said Lee. "I wasn't sure if it would be possible, but I wanted to give it a trial run and see what it's like traveling with a baby."

Lee's mother will continue travelling with her as she competes in the LPGA Tour's Kroger Queen City, Walmart NW Arkansas and LOTTE Championships before rounding out her year on the LET at the Golf Saudi-backed Aramco China Championship in November.

This week's field comprises 104 professionals representing 35 nationalities who will be competing in a 26-team format over the fi rst two days, with an individual stroke play competition concluding on the final day.

A total prize fund of $2,000,000 is up for grabs, with $500,000 set aside for the team competition and the remaining $1.5 million going to the individual competition.