Starting on No. 10 Lee was five-under through 15 holes but two bogeys dropped him to third, but it was a solid round as he posted five birdies, tied for third-most through round one. His 67 matches the second-best round of his collegiate career.
KI TAEK LEE BEST CAREER ROUNDS
66, Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational in Princeville, Hawaii (Nov. 4, 2014/second round)
67, Fighting Illini Invitational in Olympia Fields, Ill. (Sept. 16, 2016/first round)
67, Prestige at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2016/second round)
67, Alister MacKenzie Invitational in Fairfax, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2014/first round)
67, ASU Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. (Mar. 21, 2014/second round)
67, Itani Quality Homes Collegiate in Pullman, Wash. (Sept. 29, 2014/second round)
"Ki Taek was exceptional today," said Matt Thurmond, in his first tournament as head coach of the two-time NCAA champion (1990 and 1996) and 12-time Pac-12 champion program. "He carved it up and did everything right. I'm really excited for him."
The first tee shot of the new @asumensgolf season is hit by freshman Blake Wagoner. pic.twitter.com/sOm8T6XKVs
— Matt Thurmond (@MattThurmond) September 16, 2016
ASU, starting on the back nine, struggled in its first nine holes, going 22-over par in its first nine holes before cutting that in half on its final nine, which included an eagle on the 626-yard par-5 No. 10 by freshman Alejandro Del Rey Gonzalez.
"There's always some nerves on the first day of the season and especially if it's your first college round," noted Thurmond. "This course is really tough and exposes any weaknesses quickly. It doesn't let up. We had a couple guys get it going sideways and couldn't seem to get it back. It's not a good day for us but Ki Taek's round at least kept us within shouting distance of most teams. We'll be a team that responds well to tough things and tomorrow will be our first opportunity to show that."
The tournament will continue with 18 holes both Saturday and Sunday. The tournament is part of the four-event fall schedule for ASU, ranked 19th in the Golfweek Coaches preseason poll. ASU will also compete in the Alister MacKenzie Invitational in Fairfax, Calif. (Oct. 10-11), the Tavistock Cup in Orlando, Fla. (Oct. 16-18), and the Princeville Cup in Hawaii (Oct. 30-Nov. 1).
Solid work today by @ktl2013 with five birdies and a 3-under 67, sits alone in third after first round pic.twitter.com/vREV9uRlUa
— ASUmensgolf (@asumensgolf) September 16, 2016
SUN DEVIL FIRST-ROUND SCORING OLYMPIA FIELDS INVITATIONAL (SEPT. 16)
TEAM
1. Illinois, 274 (+6)
14. Arizona State, 302 (+22)
INDIVIDUALS
3. Ki Taek Lee, 67 (-3)
T49. Alejandro Del Rey Gonzalez, 76 (+6)
T67. Blake Wagoner, 78 (+8)
T76. Jared du Toit, 81 (+11)
T76. Ryan Douglass, 81 (+11)