Minjee Lee

Minjee Lee has won the US Women's Open, finishing four strokes ahead of American golfer Mina Harigae. Lee, who is from Australia, broke a 23-year-old record ...

Lee received $1.8 million for her victory, the largest prize in women's golf history "So so proud. The 26-year-old got her final round off to an ideal start with a comfortable birdie on the first hole, followed by another on the second as she drained a 30-foot putt.

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Karrie Webb and Jan Stephenson have long been the standard for Australian women's golfers. With 10 major titles between them, ...

After Harigae tapped in for her par, the stage was set for the coronation. At last, she could take a deep breathe and enjoy the walk. Her smile beamed as she scrolled through her phone and prepped to be peppered with questions. It was an appropriate scene — Lee arriving on her own terms and with a huge gap between herself and the competition — because the scoreboard reflected a similar dynamic. After surviving the pre-round jitters, Lee teed up her Srixon on the first tee and ripped driver down the left side of the fairway. Sandy native areas line the fairways, and the bunkers are jagged and scraggly around the edges. Kyle Franz led a major restoration project in 2017, and this week the course looked a lot like what Donald Ross envisioned when he built the place in the 1920s. When she stepped onto the 18th tee, her lead was five over her playing partner. Finally, there was Lee, donning a neon green polo with a simple phrase on the back: “Win at all costs.” It was an appropriate reminder considering the stakes. As the pretenders filtered out, and the true contenders arrived, real estate on the back of the Pine Needles range was plentiful. Her caddie, outfitted in red high-top Jordans 1s (perhaps in a nod to Harigae’s self-proclaimed obsession with the brand), watched and encouraged his pro, knowing full well this could be a life-changing day. Several paces to her left, Bronte Law prepped for perhaps the most consequential round of her life.

The world's fourth-ranked golfer birdied her first two holes at Pine Needles on Sunday and finished four shots ahead of American Mina Harigae.

She missed the ensuing par putt for just her seventh of nine bogeys at the tournament considered the most rugged test of golf in the world. I’m sure this is not the last time she’s in contention in majors and is the one hoisting the trophy.” “She got off to a very hot start,” said Harigae, who earned a career-high payday of $1.08 million as the runner-up. For her to be so composed, coming off a win a couple tournaments ago as well, it just shows what kind of world-class player she is. “To start aggressively, I think it was the right move,” said Lee, whose cushion expanded to six shots on the back nine en route to joining Webb and Jan Stephenson as the only Aussies to win major championships. Then she raised her arms and hugged her caddie moments before several fellow players, including world No. 3 Lydia Ko of New Zealand, doused her with champagne. She backed that improbable showing with a tie for fifth at the Women’s British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland. One hole earlier, Harigae bogeyed the 374-yard par 4 to fall to 8 under. That got her to 14 under. She also missed a short putt for par at the 18th but calmly sank the comebacker for her only round of the tournament not below par. “I mean, I’m speechless,” Lee said during Sunday’s trophy ceremony. “I can’t believe it right now.

Minjee Lee won the U.S. Women's Open by four strokes over Mina Harigae at Pine Needles on Sunday to earn $1.8 million, the largest payout in the history of ...

Her best U.S. Open finish before this tournament was tying for 11th in 2017. World No. 2 Nelly Korda (2-under) finished tied for eighth in her first tournament since undergoing surgery for a blood clot in her left arm. "I mean I'm speechless," Lee said on the 18th green after raising the trophy. After 72 holes, Lee left no doubt that she was the best player in the field. The 26-year-old Lee won her first major last July at the Evian Championship in France by erasing a seven-stroke deficit and beating South Korean Jeongeun Lee6 in the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Distance proved to set up Lee for success at Pine Needles. During both Saturday and Sunday, Lee was constantly ahead of Harigae by 30, 40, even 50 yards or more.

Minjee Lee won the 2022 U.S. Women's Open by four strokes over Mina Harigae to earn $1.8 million, the largest payout in the history of women's golf.

Just the way she played all week, she never looked like the moment was getting to her at all. I think she struggled a little bit at the start of last year with putting, and now it’s the best part of the game for her. She appeared to eye Inkster’s record when she got to 15 under after a birdie on the par-5 15th hole, but closed with two bogeys. The lead increased to five after Harigae bogeyed the par-4 11th hole, all but sealing the win. Lee became the sixth straight international player to win the U.S. Women’s Open and the first from Australia since mentor Karrie Webb in 2001. “I felt like I still needed to play well. To start aggressively, I think it was the right move, and then after that I had quite a big lead, so I was able to just play my game just to finish.” Lydia Ko was at 5 under after a 72. “I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes coming down the stretch,” Harigae said. “I think it’s only going to get better and better from here. We’re only going to get better and better.” “I mean, I’m speechless,” Lee said.

Australian Minjee Lee won the US Women's Open by four strokes over Mina Harigae at Pine Needles on Monday (AEST) to earn the largest payout in the history ...

She appeared to eye Inkster’s record when she got to 15 under after a birdie on the par-five 15th hole, but closed with two bogeys. The lead increased to five after Harigae bogeyed the par-four 11th hole, all but sealing the win. Lee became the sixth straight international player to win the US Women’s Open and the first from Australia since mentor Karrie Webb in 2001. It’s such a large sum, and I’m really honoured to be the first winner I guess of this sum.” New Zealand’s Lydia Ko was at five under after a round of 72. “I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes coming down the stretch,” she said.

The in-form Australian leapfrogged Lydia Ko into third spot in the new rankings released on Tuesday, with New Zealand's former world No.1 dropping to fourth.

The 26-year-old vowed pre-season to start collecting more of golf's big trophies after finally breaking through in 2021. "Having won Evian, I have a little bit more motivation to win every other major because my ultimate goal is to be in the Hall of Fame," she told AAP. Lee now holds two of women's golf's five major championship trophies, with three more opportunities to come in the next two months.

By Brendon Elliott, PGA. Published on Monday, June 6, 2022. Minjee Lee of Australia plays a shot from the fourth fairway during the third round of the 77th ...