Minjee Lee conquers the Women’s PGA: Third Major and leads world golf

Minjee Lee Conquers the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Minjee Lee, with a four-stroke lead at the start of the final round, demonstrated her composure and won her third Grand Slam title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Despite some early bogeys, Lee remained calm and secured the victory.

I knew exactly where I was in terms of scoring. But I want to be clear. I was definitely nervous starting the day.

Minjee Lee

Lee finished with a round of 74 strokes, two over par, maintaining a lead of at least two strokes throughout the day. Her total of 4 under par, with 284 strokes, placed her three ahead of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, the only players who managed to finish under par on the challenging Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco. The 29-year-old Australian golfer, residing in Texas, secured her eleventh professional victory. She joins Karrie Webb and Jan Stephenson as the only Australians with three Grand Slam titles. Despite some bogeys in the first half of the course, Lee remained calm while her playing partner, Jeeno Thitikul, suffered setbacks in the initial holes. Thitikul, seeking her first major, finished in fourth place, tied with Chisato Iwai. Lee, currently ranked 24th, took home $1.8 million from the record $12 million prize, matching the U.S. Women’s Open’s prize money. Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen achieved the best rounds of the day, with 68 strokes each.

Minjee Lee celebrates her victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at PGA Frisco, earning her third Grand Slam title. She won by four strokes, with only three golfers finishing under par in the 72-hole event.The weather conditions, with strong winds, added difficulty to the competition. Thitikul, who led the first two rounds, fell behind with a round of 76 on Saturday. This year, Lee becomes the sixteenth player to win an LPGA tournament. Nelly Korda, who won seven times last year, is not among the winners on this occasion. A key moment was when Lee maintained his lead with a crucial par on the 13th hole. Wannasaen, for his part, achieved an eagle on the 15th hole, which increased the excitement of the tournament. Lee demonstrated his consistency by recording two rounds in the 60s, with 69 strokes on Thursday and Saturday. Lee, whose first bogey came on the 3rd hole, held firm and managed the pressure well, securing the victory. Auston Kim, who started the final round with a nine-stroke deficit, made an impressive approach, but ultimately failed to catch up with Lee.