Australia`s World Number 1 amateur Minjee Lee has made a superb start to this year`s U.S Women`s Open with an opening round 1-under par 69 at Pinehurst No.2 in North Carolina.

The 69 sees Lee sitting in a tie for 3rd place with fellow Australian Katherine Kirk and Korean So-Yeon Ryu who won the U.S Open in 2011.

Lee mixed two birdies and an eagle with three bogies during her round.

\"I had a pretty good round today, I guess, considering how I hit it. I chipped and putted pretty good. And there`s always room for improvement. I`m hoping for every round a little bit more improvement,\" Lee said.

I think everyone is going to miss greens. It`s playing tough. So I`m just trying to get the ball to have a little fade on it, so it stops, it holds the greens. Yeah, just trying to get that shape into my head,\" she added.

American Stacy Lewis leads the championship after a 3-under par 67, one stroke ahead of compatriot Michelle Wie at 2-under in warm conditions.

\"It wasn`t really, really hot, but it was just really humid, like I`m all sweaty right now, so you can see how it was hot today. Yeah, I drank lots of water and everyone had their towels out. It was pretty hot,\" Lee said.

Asked about her eagle on the par 5 5th hole, Lee said \"Just hit my drive down the left side and it just kind of rolled all the way down to like the bottom bit there. And I hit hybrid on just, not on the green, but about a yard off the green to the right and I putted it in. So, yeah, it was good.\"

Queenslander Katherine Kirk`s form has been improving and the 32 year-old was pleased with her start.

\"Even par is always a good scores in a U.S. Open. And I would have expected the course to get tougher the next three days, as well. Unless we get rain. So, yeah, I`ll be happy if I`m even at the end of the week.\"

Karrie Webb finished with an even par 70 to be one stroke behind Lee.

\"I did have good feelings here. I came a couple of weeks ago ahead of -- before the men played. And I loved it as soon as I was here. It does really remind me of Sand Belt golf in Melbourne, where you don`t always have a perfect lie, even in the fairway. And you have to be creative around the greens. And that`s definitely a recipe to play well in Melbourne and it is here, as well,\" Webb said.