FRISCO, Texas — Minjee Lee clinched her third major championship title at the KPMG Women`s PGA Championship. She entered the final round with a commanding four-stroke lead and successfully held off the competition throughout the day, despite encountering some early bogeys. Lee monitored her progress closely on the course leaderboards.
“I knew exactly where I was in terms of like the scores,” Lee commented. She admitted to feeling pressure, clarifying, “I definitely was nervous starting the day… I looked calm, but not as calm as everybody thinks.”
Lee concluded the final round with a 2-over 74, but her lead never dropped below two strokes. Her final score of 4-under 284 was three strokes ahead of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen. These two players were the only others to finish under par on the challenging, windy Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco.
This victory marks the 11th career win for the 29-year-old Australian, who resides in nearby Irving, Texas. With this third major title, she joins fellow Australians Karrie Webb (seven majors) and Jan Stephenson (three majors) in an elite group.
While Lee faced challenges, including three bogeys over a four-hole stretch on the front nine, her playing partner and world No. 2, Jeeno Thitikul, also struggled, bogeying two early par-5 holes. Thitikul, still seeking her first major, shot a 75 on Sunday, finishing tied for fourth place at 1-over 289 alongside Chisato Iwai (who shot 71).
Lee, currently ranked 24th, earned $1.8 million from the record $12 million purse. This prize money matches the U.S. Women`s Open and represents an increase from $10.4 million the previous year. This is the second time Lee has won $1.8 million, her previous large payout coming from her four-stroke victory at the 2022 U.S. Women`s Open.
Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen both delivered impressive rounds of 68, matching the best scores of the tournament. These were the only 68s recorded over the final three rounds. Kim had a bogey-free round, highlighted by three consecutive birdies on her front nine.
“I`m really happy how I handled myself, my emotions, all the adversity,” Kim stated. “There is obviously a lot on the line today, but I was chasing. I think that definitely helps. Took a lot of pressure off in the moment.”
The wind, a factor all week with speeds between 15-20 mph, was still present but lacked the constant gusts of 30 mph or more that significantly impacted play on Saturday.
Jeeno Thitikul had held the outright lead after the first two rounds but fell back after shooting a 76 on Saturday. Lee, in contrast, had the only bogey-free round among all players up to that point.
Minjee Lee is the 16th different winner in the 16 LPGA tournaments held this year. Notably, top-ranked Nelly Korda, who won seven times last year, is not among this year`s winners so far, finishing tied for 19th at 6-over 294 after a closing 76.
A crucial moment occurred when Lee sank an 8-foot par putt on the 170-yard 13th hole, preserving her two-stroke lead and staying at 3 under. Around the same time, Wannasaen made a 14-foot eagle putt on the 235-yard par-4 15th hole to reach 1 under. However, Wannasaen then missed the green and bogeyed the 455-yard 16th.
Lee responded with a subtle fist pump after making a 9-foot birdie on No. 14, the only par 5 on the back nine, and followed it with another birdie on No. 15. She was the only player this week to record two rounds in the 60s, with 69s on Thursday and Saturday.
“I just tried to be really simple out there. It was just so tough with the wind,” Lee explained. “Some of the drives that I hit were really terrible out there, but I was able to get up and down, make bogey, not have a score that was too large to come back from. I think I managed myself really well out there today. I knew the 14th and 15th holes would be birdie opportunities, so just tried to stay patient and just try to make pars until those holes.”
Lee`s first bogey of the final round came on the par-5 third hole after her third shot found a deep greenside bunker. This was followed by consecutive bogeys on the 441-yard fifth and 434-yard sixth holes. She didn`t make a birdie until the ninth, turning at 4 under and holding a three-stroke lead over Thitikul and Kim at the time.
Auston Kim began the final round nine strokes behind Lee, which is two more than the record comeback margin in a women`s major. Several players have achieved comebacks from seven strokes back, including Lee herself at the 2021 Evian Championship in France, where she won her first major title.
The 24-year-old Kim started her round strong with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 528-yard par-5 first hole. She narrowed the gap to two strokes behind Lee after three consecutive birdies on the front nine, including a tee shot on the 157-yard eighth hole that stopped just a foot from the cup.
Jasper Hawthorne