Lee plays by day, writes by night at U.S Women's Open

Andrea Lee is as surgeon-like with a pen as she is with her golf clubs, at least this quarter. The Stanford junior – a Science, Technology and Society major – is currently enrolled in a writing-intensive ethics and bioengineering class. It has amounted to roughly four essays over the past nine weeks. The latest was due the night before the opening round of the U.S. Women’s Open.

Off the course, Lee, 20, has been sitting in the hotel lobby each night trying to meet a tight word count.

“It's actually only 900 words, but they're very strict on the word limit, and I have to write really concise arguments,” she said.

Lee got a late extension on the essay, but it was already done by the time time her professor granted it. She showed up the next morning at the Country Club of Charleston (S.C.) and strung together eight consecutive pars on the back nine (she went off on No. 10) to start the day. She went 3 under in her next 10 holes, which included four birdies in her final five holes.

A 2-under 69 left her inside the top 5, just four shots off the lead. It was the second-best first-round effort among the 26 amateurs in the field. Gina Kim finished with a late 66 and trails by one.

“I played steady golf all day, just kind of parred my way through,” Lee said.

😍@andrea_lee54 is sitting QUITE nicely at T4 after a 2-under 69 at the @uswomensopen @StanfordWGolf

RESULTS: https://t.co/PAGbstn6B2 pic.twitter.com/p6Z69nOzc3

— SCGA (@thescga) May 30, 2019

Final papers begin next week. The golf-school balance is never-ending.

“You'll see me in the lobby again,” Lee said.

Stanford’s men’s team won the national title in match play just a day before the start of the Women’s Open. Lee spent two and a half hours in player dining watching the championship match against Texas play out.

Last week, Lee and the women played their way into the quarterfinals, where they lost to eventual winner Duke. Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark., the national-championship venue, was like a study guide for CC of Charleston.

“I think nationals definitely prepared me for this week, I guess endurance-wise too and just playing against the top collegiate players out there, like Maria Fassi, Jennifer Kupcho,” Lee said. “They're all out here.”