Starting the final round in Frisco, Texas, with a four-stroke advantage at the KPMG Women`s PGA Championship, Minjee Lee kept a close eye on leaderboards. Despite some early challenges with bogeys, she maintained her lead throughout the day to claim her third major championship.
Lee commented on her performance, stating, “I knew exactly where I stood regarding the scores.” She admitted feeling pressure, adding, “To be clear, I was definitely nervous starting the day. I wasn`t sure if it was the heat or just the nerves making my heart race… I might have appeared calm, but I wasn`t as relaxed as people might have thought.”
Lee finished the final round with a score of 74 (2 over par), ensuring she held at least a two-stroke lead consistently. Her overall score of 284 (4 under par) placed her three strokes clear of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen. They were the only other competitors to finish under par at the challenging, windy Fields Ranch East course in PGA Frisco.
This victory marks the 11th career win for the 29-year-old Australian, who resides locally in Irving, Texas. Lee now stands alongside Karrie Webb (seven major titles) and Jan Stephenson (three major titles) as one of only three Australian women to have secured three major championships.
While Lee encountered difficulty with three bogeys over four holes on the front nine, her playing partner, world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, also struggled, bogeying both par 5 holes early in the round. Thitikul, still seeking her inaugural major win, began Sunday by hitting her opening shot into the right rough. She carded a round of 75, finishing the tournament at 289 (1 over par), in a tie for fourth place with Chisato Iwai, who shot 71.
Ranked 24th globally, Lee earned $1.8 million from the tournament`s record $12 million prize fund. This purse represents an increase from $10.4 million the previous year and equals the U.S. Women`s Open prize money, making them the two richest events in women`s golf. Notably, Lee also received $1.8 million for her victory by four strokes at the 2022 U.S. Women`s Open.
Both Kim and Wannasaen delivered the best rounds of the final day, shooting 68. These scores also equaled the lowest rounds recorded throughout the entire tournament, following only two rounds of 68 in the first three days combined. Kim`s round was bogey-free, but she managed only pars on her back nine after achieving three consecutive birdies to conclude her front nine.
Kim expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating, “I`m truly pleased with how I managed myself, my emotions, and faced all the challenges.” She acknowledged the high stakes but added, “There was certainly a lot at stake today, but I was in pursuit [of the leader], which I believe significantly helped. It relieved a lot of pressure in the moment.”
Although the wind persisted at speeds of 15-20 mph, consistent with conditions throughout the week, the severe gusts of 30 mph or more that had made Saturday`s play particularly challenging were absent.
Thitikul held the outright lead following the first two rounds. However, the 22-year-old from Thailand dropped back after shooting a 76 on Saturday, the same day Lee achieved the only bogey-free round of the tournament up to that point.
Lee`s victory makes her the 16th different winner in the 16 LPGA tournaments held this year. Notably, world No. 1 Nelly Korda, a seven-time winner last year, was not among this year`s winners in this event, finishing tied for 19th at 294 (6 over par) after a final round 76.
A potentially pivotal moment occurred on the 170-yard 13th hole, where Lee sank a crucial 8-foot par putt to preserve her two-stroke lead and remain at 3 under par. Around the same time, Wannasaen made ground by holing a 14-foot eagle putt on the 235-yard par-4 15th hole, reaching 1 under par. However, the 21-year-old Thai player then bogeyed the 455-yard 16th after missing the green.
Lee showed a subtle sign of satisfaction with a fist pump after sinking a 9-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, the sole par 5 on the back nine. She followed this with another birdie on the 15th. Lee was the only player in the field to record two rounds in the 60s during the week, shooting 69 on both Thursday and Saturday.
Reflecting on her strategy, Lee commented, “I simply tried to keep things straightforward out there. The wind made it incredibly difficult.” She admitted to some poor tee shots, but explained, “Some of the drives I hit were quite bad, but I managed to recover, make bogeys when needed, and avoid scores that would be impossible to recover from. I believe I handled myself exceptionally well today. I recognized that holes 14 and 15 offered birdie chances, so I aimed to stay patient and make pars until I reached those holes.”
Lee`s first dropped shot came on the par-5 third hole after her third shot landed in a deep greenside bunker. She then recorded consecutive bogeys on the 441-yard fifth and 434-yard sixth holes. She secured her first birdie only on the ninth hole, reaching the turn at 4 under par, which put her three strokes ahead of both Thitikul and Kim at that point.
Auston Kim began the final round nine strokes behind the leader. This deficit was two strokes larger than the record for the biggest comeback in a women`s major championship, a feat achieved by several players. Notably, Minjee Lee herself holds one such comeback victory, having won the 2021 Evian Championship in France by rallying from seven strokes back to secure her first major title.
The 24-year-old Kim started her round strongly, making a 5-foot birdie putt on the opening 528-yard par-5. She closed the gap to just two strokes behind Lee following her three consecutive birdies near the end of the front nine. Her tee shot on the 157-yard eighth hole landed remarkably close, stopping just a foot from the hole.
