Lee in sight of top finish

IMPRESSIVE: Danny Lee walks up the 18th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship yesterday. PHOTO/AP

Rotorua golfer Danny Lee has fired his best round at a major championship to sit near the top of the leaderboard at the PGA Championship in Wisconsin.

Lee's four-under par 68 early yesterday morning (NZT), at the bunker-laden Whistling Straits course in Wisconsin, has put him in a tie for third after the first round. Lee is currently competing in the fourth major of his career but has never made the cut in three previous attempts.

Barring a nightmare round this morning, Lee should make his first cut at a major tournament and is in a good position to push on for another top finish in the US.

In his last four starts on US soil he has recorded: Win, T3, T4, T6.

PGATour.com's Chris Dunham even had Lee as his favourite to take out the title this weekend at Whistling Straits following his good form of late.

"I don't know which is more surprising ... the fact that I picked Lee over the group that I'm calling my 'playoffs war chest' - which includes names like Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen and Rory McIlroy - or that I'm the first to take the New Zealander who has four consecutive top-6 finishes on US soil."

Lee's 68 also marked the first time he has gone under par during a round at a major. American Dustin Johnson led the tournament after the first round at six-under par. Lee teed off for his second round at 6.30am today (NZT).