Australian golf star Minjee Lee is bidding to complete a golden golf double at the Women's British Open following Cameron Smith's special win at St Andrews.
Minjee Lee is eyeing a historic Australian golfing double as the in-form world No.2 chases Women's British Open glory at a happy family hunting ground.
Three weeks after Cameron Smith chugged beers from the famous Claret Jug with victory at the landmark 150th men's Open at St Andrews, Lee tees up at Muirfield this week among the favourites to capture the female edition.
With three top-10s in her past four British Opens, plus an 11th, not to mention two major championship crowns in the past 12 months, the Perth ace can't wait to get her title crack.
"It's the British Open. I really love playing at links golf courses," the 26-year-old said ahead of Thursday's first round.
"I just really love like the hard conditions that we get and just how much creativity we have to think about around these types of courses. It could be really cool and it would be a great honour to be able to win the British."
Despite Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Greg Norman, Ian Baker-Finch, Smith and Karrie Webb amassing 11 British Open titles between them, Australians have never completed the men's and women's double in the same year.
"Oh, it would be pretty cool, yeah," Lee said of the prospect of emulating Smith's triumph.
"Just a lot of hard work has come together. We've worked so hard for our goals and our dreams to come true, and I think for Cam, it's been a whole lot of hard work and a lot of long hours on his skills and abilities," she added of Australia's two 2013 national amateur champions already bagging majors in 2022.
After much lobbying for equal privileges, the world's premier female golfers will also be contesting an Open at Muirfield for the first time.
The venue has staged 16 men's Opens since 1892, producing champions like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson.
The links layout in Gullane, Scotland is next door to where Lee's brother Min Woo won last year's Scottish Open, adding to the special vibes the LPGA Tour's 2022 scoring average leader is feeling ahead of the season's final major.
"Min Woo won at Renaissance, and I'm really looking forward to this week," Lee said.
"It's going to be a great championship. It's at a great venue, so I'm pretty excited."
Following up her breakthrough at last year's Evian Championship in France, Lee has enjoyed another stellar season at the 2022 majors.
She won the Women's US Open in June, finished joint runner-up at the PGA Championship and was 12th at the ANA Inspiration.
Lee headlines a five-strong Australian challenge at Muirfield, with Hannah Green, Steph Kyriacou, Su Oh and Whitney Hillier also teeing up.
AUSTRALIAN MEN'S BRITISH OPEN WINNERS
1954: Peter Thomson - Royal Birkdale
1955: Peter Thomson - St Andrews
1956: Peter Thomson - Royal Liverpool
1958: Peter Thomson - Royal Lytham and St Annes
1960: Kel Nagle - St Andrews
1965: Peter Thomson - Royal Birkdale
1986: Greg Norman - Turnberry
1991: Ian Baker-Finch - Royal Birkdale
1993: Greg Norman - Royal St George's
2022: Cameron Smith - St Andrews
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN WINNERS
2002: Karrie Webb - Turnberry
