This week she hopes to further entrench her place in golf history with victory at the US Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Take a left from The Olympic Club onto John Daly Boulevard followed by a right onto Junipero Serra Boulevard and you come to Lake Merced Golf Club, site of the 2012 US Junior Girls Championship.

It was there that the then 16-year-old Lee stormed home by winning four of the final six holes to claim a 1-up victory over Californian Alison Lee in the 36-hole final, becoming just the eighth Australian to win a United States Golf Association championship.

By February 2014 she was the No1-ranked amateur in the world and nine days before she turned 19 in May 2015 recorded her first win on the LPGA Tour.

Major champion status seemed destined to be bestowed yet the game’s showpiece events have proven to be something of a stumbling block, Lee finishing in the top-10 just five times in 33 starts with a best finish of third at last year’s AIG Women’s Open.

Now 25, the West Australian is coming into the week from a strong showing at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play and with the positive memories of her win in the area almost nine years ago.

“I like the look of the golf course, it’s a lot like Lake Merced,” Lee said ahead of her opening round at 12.55am Friday morning AEST.

“I won the US Girls there and I just really love San Francisco in general so it always excites me to come back and visit.”

Thick rough and slick greens is expected to make birdies a bonus at The Olympic Club and par a good score.

Currently 12th in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, Lee will need to find fairways and lean on her laser-like irons to put herself in contention on Sunday.

“I’m really excited. It’s anybody’s game at the moment,” said Lee, who ranks 18th for greens in regulation on the LPGA Tour this season.

“I feel like I have a good chance. I feel like my game is trending in the right direction.

“It’s US Open week, it’s going to be a tiring week. Just it being a Major, you give a little bit more pressure to yourself, I think, to perform.

“The rough is just really, really thick. I’m not sure you can actually get it to the greens. It’s just going to be a chip-out, I think.

“So definitely hitting the fairways, and the rough around the greens are really sticky as well. Chipping and obviously putting every week is crucial.

“Shots into the greens as well, which is everything.”

Lee is one of five Australians in the field with Sarah Jane Smith the first off at 12.11am followed by Lee, Hannah Green (1.17am), Brisbane amateur Emily Mahar (5.30am) and Sarah Kemp (6.03am).