Lee Lands US Women’s Open Championship Title

Southern Pines, North Carolina, United States: When Minjee Lee first announced her presence at a USGA championship a decade ago by winning the US Girls’ Junior Championship, she was asked if more USGA titles were in the offing. Her short answer: “I’m coming.” That might have sounded like bravado, but it turned out to be prophetic.

After registering a four-stroke victory on Sunday at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in the 77th US Women’s Open Championship Presented by ProMedica, the 26-year-old Australian joined a Hall-of-Fame group of players to have claimed both the US Girls’ Junior and US Women’s Open.

Lee, fourth in the Rolex Rankings, now shares that distinction with Mickey Wright, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Hollis Stacy, Amy Alcott, Park In-bee and Ariya Jutanugarn.

“This is the one I’ve always wanted to win since I was a little kid, so it feels pretty amazing to get it done today. I can’t believe it,” said Lee, the second successive former Queen Sirikit Cup participant to lift the US Open trophy, following in the footsteps of Yuka Saso last year.

Lee might have missed out on becoming the second player in Women’s Open history to post four sub-70 rounds, but an even-par 71 gave her a 72-hole total of 13-under 271, enabling her to eclipse the 72-hole scoring record of 272 shared by Juli Inkster, Chun In-gee and Annika Sorenstam, who first posted that score in successfully defending her US Women’s Open title at Pine Needles in 1996.

Challenging hole locations combined with firm conditions made scoring conditions the toughest of the week on Sunday, and only two players – Choi Hye-jin (70) and 2019 champion Lee6 Jeong-eun (69) – broke par on the Donald Ross gem.

The final-round scoring average of 75.2 was 3½ strokes higher than in round three and nearly two strokes higher than either of the first two rounds.

Mina Harigae, who entered the final round three strokes back of Lee, fought through the challenging conditions to shoot a 72 and finish solo second at nine-under 275.

Choi, runner-up in 2017 as a 17-year-old amateur and now an LPGA Tour rookie, finished third on 277, one ahead of world number one Ko Jin-young. World number three Lydia Ko was another stroke back on 279.

“This is definitely top one or two highlights of my career,” said Harigae, who is still searching for her first win on the LPGA Tour in her 13th season. “Obviously, just the prize money [$1.08 million], but solo second in a Major is my best by far.”

Meanwhile, Lee’s weekend performance at Pine Needles was reminiscent of her mentor and idol, Karrie Webb. She might not have romped to an eight-stroke victory like Webb did here in 2001, but her fight and tenacity certainly equalled that of the steely World Golf Hall of Fame inductee.

Lee started with two quick birdies but gave them back with bogeys on the par-three fifth and par-four seventh.

Just when things looked as if they might go south under the final-round pressure of a Major championship, Lee, sporting a lime green polo with the words ‘Win At All Costs’ on the back, answered with clutch par saves at nine (from nine feet), 11 (eight feet), 13 (13 feet) and 14 (seven feet). Each time she converted, Lee maintained a safe distance over Harigae and other potential pursuers.

For most of the second nine, Lee, who broke through for her first Major title last July at the Amundi Evian Championship in France, owned a six-stroke advantage on the field. Bogeys at the par-three 16th and par-four closing hole trimmed the deficit to its final margin of four.

“I didn't hit it that well,” said Lee. “I had really good [par] saves, up-and-downs from a lot of the places, and then finishing I had a couple birdies and a couple bogeys. That was enough to get it done today.”

When Lee sank the short bogey putt on 18, she raised her arms in celebration and hugged her caddie Jason Gilroyed, who happened to be on the bag for the 2007 champion at Pine Needles, Cristie Kerr. She also was congratulated by long-time friend and rival Lydia Ko.

“I think she played amazing,” said Ko. “It’s hard even if you have a comfortable lead going into the last day. It’s hard because especially at the US Women’s Open, anything can happen. For her to be so composed shows what kind of world-class player she is.”