Minjee Lee wins the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her 3rd major title

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Minjee Lee went into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with a four-stroke lead, and took a glance at every leaderboard she saw on the course. Even after some early bogeys, she stayed on top all day on way to her third major title.

“I knew exactly where I was in terms of like the scores,” Lee said. “But I just want to be clear. Like I definitely was nervous starting the day. I wasn’t really sure if it was the heat that was making my heart beat more. ... I looked calm, but not as calm as everybody thinks.”

Lee closed with a 2-over 74 while maintaining at least a two-stroke lead throughout the final round. Her 4-under 284 total was three strokes ahead of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, the only other players to finish under par at wind-swept Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.

Lee, the 29-year-old Australian who is a Texas resident, living in nearby Irving, got her 11th career win. She joined Karrie Webb (seven) and Jan Stephenson (three) as the only women from Australia to win three majors.

While Lee had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch midway through the front nine, playing partner Jeeno Thitikul, the world’s No. 2-ranked player, bogeyed both par 5s that are among the first three holes. Still in search of her first major, Thitikul hit her first shot Sunday into the right rough on way to a 75 to finish at 1 over 289, tied for fourth with Chisato Iwai (71).

Parse.ly - related stories

Tommy Fleetwood closer than ever at Travelers but still looking for first PGA Tour victory

 

US Ryder Cup captain Bradley wins the Travelers. Lee and Jimenez take major titles

 

Miguel Angel Jimenez wins playoff at Firestone for his 4th PGA Tour Champions victory of the season

 

Lee, ranked 24th, took home $1.8 million of the record $12 million purse, which was up from $10.4 million a year ago and matched the U.S. Women’s Open for the most prize money. She also got $1.8 million for her four-stroke win in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open.

Kim and Wannasaen both shot 68, the best rounds of the day and matching the best of the tournament after only two 68s combined the first three rounds. Kim was bogey-free, but had only pars after three consecutive birdies to wrap up her front nine.

“I’m really happy how I handled myself, my emotions, all the adversity,” Kim said. “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.”

While still windy like it had been all week at 15-20 mph, there weren’t the constant gusts of 30 mph or more that had made the playing conditions so difficult Saturday.

Thitikul had the solo lead after the first and second rounds. But the 22-year-old from Thailand fell behind shooting a 76 on Saturday, when Lee had the only bogey-free round for any player until then.

Lee is the 16th player to win in 16 LPGA tournaments this year. But top-ranked Nelly Korda, who won seven times last year, isn’t one of those winners after a closing 76 to tie for 19th at 6-over 294.

In what was probably the key moment, Lee maintained a two-stroke lead with a clutch 8-foot par at the 170-yard 13th hole to stay at 3 under. That came about the same time Wannasaen rolled in a 14-foot eagle putt at the 235-yard par-4 15th hole to get to 1 under, though the 21-year-old from Thailand then missed the green and bogeyed the 455-yard 16th.

There was a subtle fist pump from Lee when she then made a 9-foot birdie at No. 14, the only par 5 on the back nine, and followed with another birdie at No. 15. She was the only player this week with 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 said. “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 was at the par-5 third after her third shot went into a deep greenside bunker, then she had back-to-back bogeys on the 441-yard fifth and 434-yard sixth hole. She didn’t have a birdie until the ninth to make the turn at 4 under — at the time three ahead of Thitikul and Kim.

Kim started the final round nine strokes back, which was two more than the record comeback for a women’s major. Several players have done that, including Lee when she won the 2021 Evian Championship in France by coming from seven back for her first major title.

The 24-year-old Kim opened her round with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 528-yard par 5 first. She got within two strokes of Lee after the three birdies to wrap up her front nine. Her tee shot at the 157-yard eight hole stopped a foot from the cup.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf